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Boy Scouts of the Air Books 


Boy Scouts of the Air 
at Greenwood School 



T 

Boy Scouts 
of the Air Books 

By GORDON STUART 

Are stirring stories of adven- 
ture in which real boys, clean- 
cut and wide-awake, do the 
things other wide-awake boys 
like to read about. 

Four titles, 
per volume , 

60 cents 


THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT 
EAGLE CAMP 


THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT 
GREENWOOD SCHOOL 


THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN 
INDIAN LAND 


THE BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR IN 
NORTHERN WILDS 


Splendid Illustrations by Norman Hall 


Publishers The Reilly & Britton Co. Chicago 


The 

Boy Scouts of the Air 
at Greenwood 
School 

BY 

GORDON STUART 1 


Illustrated by Norman P. Hall 


The Reilly & Britton Co. 
Chioago 



COPYRIGHT, 1912 
by 

THE REILLY & BRITTON CO 




BOY SCOUTS OF THE AIR AT GREENWOOD SCHOOL 



% & o 


SCI.A316697 

Tv., . / 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER PAGE 

I “ Prexy Porky ” 9 

II A New Plan 17 

III A Malicious Letter 26 

IV The Dunbar Scheme 35 

V Hindered Plans and Strange Ac- 
tions 45 

VI Real Scouting 55 

YII A Place of Mystery 66 

VIII Ghost Stories 77 

IX Phil’s Revenge 87 

X River Pirates 99 

XI The Airship Speaks 109 

XII Why the Airship Spoke 119 

XIII Explain or Fight 133 

XIY The Fight and the Accusation .... 142 

XV The Mystery of the Airship 153 

XYI The Man in the Woods 164 

XVII The Captors and the Captives 174 

XVIII Air Pirates 185 

XIX The Adventure of Billy 194 

XX Trapping the Air Pirates 201 

XXI An Empty Revolver 209 

XXII The Escape of the Air Pirates 218 

XXIII Short of Gasoline 235 

XXIV Julian’s Secret 247 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 


When Don threw the next stone — crash ! — it 
went right through the window where Phil 
was standing. Frontispiece 

“ But jokin’ aside, something ought to be done. 
Let’s form a patrol of our own and build a 
hide-out.” Page 42 

At once Don became frightened over the still 
form before him. He had not struck a blow, 
but his enemy lay apparently vanquished. 

Page 146 

Julian was pointing a revolver at his head, and 
Spellman knew that his game was over and 
he had lost. Page 210 






Boy Scouts of the Air 
at Greenwood School 

CHAPTER I 

“ PREXY PORKY ” 

“ Prexy Porkie ” was angry. He was mad. He 
was hot. He was boiling over. His real name be- 
ing Bacon, the boys of Greenwood Academy nat- 
urally gave the president and master of their 
school the nickname of “ Porkie.” This play on 
the “ Old Man’s ” name struck them as a happy 
thought. 

It was more than a general titter that greeted 
“ Porkie ” as he entered the assembly hall where 
the one hundred and sixty-five boys of the school 
were gathered for their regular morning lecture. 
There was much disorder in the room, reaching a 
climax almost amounting to an uproar as the mas- 
ter entered, straight, stiff and prim. He was tall 
and rather thin and wiry. He sniffed the air as if 
he smelled mischief. As his ferocious gaze swept 
the rows of seats and their occupants, every dis- 
9 


10 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

orderly movement and unbecoming sound ceased. 
An ominous silence reigned. 

Then President Bacon, being unable to fasten 
any specific instance of misconduct on any boy in 
the hall, turned and walked toward his desk on the 
platform in front. Suddenly, however, he stopped 
short and every pupil of Greenwood Academy 
present held his breath. The expected storm was 
about to break. 

And the cause of the threatened disturbance in 
the school atmosphere was this : 

Some pupil of moderate artistic ability had 
drawn a picture on the front blackboard just be- 
hind “ Porkie’s ” desk. It was a half -life-size 
picture of a man, tall and lean. Every boy, as 
soon as he saw it, knew at once whom the ridicu- 
lous chalk picture was intended to represent. 

But there were two special peculiarities about 
the drawing that called for particular interest 
among the Greenwood pupils. Before presenting 
these features it will be necessary to explain some 
incidents that led up to them. 

President Bacon was a man of sharp temper. 
He was not a hard man, for in his own peculiar 
way he had the welfare of his one hundred and 


At Greenwood School 


11 


sixty-five boys at heart. But this was not always 
tempered with good judgment. The master ‘ 4 flew 
off the handle ” occasionally, and woe to the lad 
who happened to be nearest. “ Porkie ” did not 
resort to physical violence. His methods were al- 
ways “ intellectual 9 9 and his manner of scoring an 
object of his wrath was his own. 

Only two days before this incident of the pict- 
ure, “ Porkie ” became angry with the janitor of 
the school. The cause of his ire is a matter of 
no importance here. He turned the guns of his 
wrath upon the lowly workman, who proved, how- 
ever, to be not so humble as he was lowly. The 
consequence was that the dignified head of an 
august institution received a blue-black eye, and 
the janitor was discharged. 

Now the master of Greenwood was most exact- 
ing in his demands for the observance of a laid- 
down rule. He was a man of many precepts. He 
issued many bulletins filled with advice, com- 
mands, instructions and injunctions. Of these he 
distributed copies among the boys and forced his 
charges to read them in concert every morning. 
In addition, he had special rules for special classes 
and these he compelled the boys to commit to 


12 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


memory and to recite. One of the rules of the 
penmanship classes, which became very monot- 
onous to the young students of the academy, was 
this : 

“ Dot your Fs and cross your T’s.” 

When the president appeared with the blue- 
black eye in the lecture hall on the morning 
after his trouble with the janitor, Archie Chance 
whispered to Dick Harding: 

“ Porkie’s eye is dotted.” 

This clever but heartless jest spread like wild- 
fire. Dick passed it on and soon it was being 
buzzed over the whole room. The president was 
not discountenanced, however, although he must 
have known the cause of the mirth. But he had 
lost some of his customary dignity and seemed 
unable to glare about with his usual fierceness. 
Hence he found it necessary to rap loudly several 
times for order before he succeeded in quieting 
his boisterous pupils. 

This story opens the following morning when 
‘ 1 Prexy Porkie , 9 appeared i ‘ angry — mad — 
hot — boiling over.” A man of his disposition 
might well have been stirred into a tempest of 
wrath, for the first view of the caricature on the 


At Greenwood School 13 

blackboard impressed him with these features: 

The legs of the chalk man were close together, 
military fashion. The arms were extended di- 
rectly and horizontally to the right and the left, 
with hands bent downward at the wrists — the 
figure presenting the appearance of a well-let- 
tered capital T. On the right eye of this clever 
but unscrupulous work of some mischievous boy 
was a rude drawing of a bandage, indicating 
that the sight organ behind it had been damaged. 

Within a circular line touching the bandage 
were these heartless words : “ This eye is dotted.” 
Within another circular drawing was this legend, 
also remindful of one of “ Porkie’s ” rules, 
“ This T is crossed.” 

President Bacon’s face became pale and his 
frame trembled. Then a great surprise fol- 
lowed, so great that any boy in the room would 
have declared it impossible. Natural color re- 
turned to the countenance of the master of 
Greenwood and in a short time he was looking 
almost pleasant. He ascended the platform and 
stood behind his desk. His right eye was not 
bandaged as was the corresponding eye of the 


14 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

chalk drawing, but it still showed some discolora- 
tion from contact with the late janitor’s fist. 

He remained in a half stern attitude for some 
moments, as if not quite certain what to say or 
to do. Perhaps his eyes were searching the room 
for the author of the blackboard mischief, for 
suddenly he seemed to become sufficiently inter- 
ested in one of the boys to let his gaze rest on 
him. Of course the boy trembled, although he 
knew of no good reason why he should. 

He attempted to return the master’s gaze with 
an innocent expression, as any other boy in the 
school would have tried to do under similar cir- 
cumstances. But presently he heard the feared 
master saying in a well controlled voice: 

“ Hon Collins, step up on the platform.” 

Those were the words that Hon heard and he 
could hardly believe his ears. What was 
‘ 1 Prexy ’ ’ about to do — accuse him of drawing 
the picture? Surely the president did not sus- 
pect him. What could have occurred to arouse 
such a suspicion? But the president was speak- 
ing again, repeating his command in sterner 
tones : 

“ Hon Collins, step up on the platform.” 


CHAPTER II 


A NEW PLAN 

This sudden change in President Bacon’s man- 
ner marked an epoch in the history of Green- 
wood Academy. The fact was, he had found him- 
self in danger of losing his position. Several 
members of the board of directors had gone to 
him and urged him to modify his methods of 
dealing with the boys. 

It was true that Mr. Bacon was a man of con- 
siderable mental endowment, of good connections 
and one of the largest stockholders in the Green- 
wood Academy corporation, but he did not hold 
a controlling interest. If he did not keep the 
friendship of those other members who had 
warned him he knew that his throne was in dan- 
ger. Because of that, “ Prexy ” looked himself 
over, reviewed some of his later history, scruti- 
nized his blue-black eye in a mirror and decided 
in favor of a new course. 

After he had made this decision he fell to won- 
dering why he had not done thus long ago. He 
17 


18 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

was fifty-two years old and this certainly seemed 
a late day for an old dog to learn new tricks. Be- 
cause of that, it is not to be wondered at if he 
was fearful of his ability to get rid of a cranky 
and disagreeable disposition. 

Greenwood Academy, located on a Wisconsin 
river about a mile from the small city of Ober- 
ton, was financially a well-paying institution. 
It was devoted particularly to the education of 
half-orphan boys of wealthy parentage and those 
who were without living parents or whose fathers 
and mothers were unable to watch properly the 
development of their children. 

Naturally there were in this company of one 
hundred and sixty-five boys, a number that were 
not of the tamest disposition. In fact, some of 
them were inclined to be more than wild, and 
this circumstance served as a good excuse for 
making the tuition and living charges at the 
school rather high. 

It was little wonder that President Bacon had 
something of a temper, dealing as he did with 
such a half-Indian aggregation of boys. Per- 
haps, too, there is even less wonder that he 
nearly lost control of his good resolution to be 


At Greenwood School 


19 


more lenient when he beheld the caricature of 
himself on the blackboard. It was only the day 
before that he had received the call from three 
of the directors burdened with suggestions. This 
was why on this morning he entered the assembly 
hall with his new and good resolve. 

But as he stepped inside and noted the evi- 
dences of disorder, the old spirit came back to 
him with full force and he nearly “ flew to 
pieces.’ ’ The struggle within him was great and 
perhaps that was why he looked even more 
ferocious. Then he saw the drawing on the 
blackboard and the real test of his new resolve 
came. At the climax he successfully put forth 
a supreme effort. 

After it was all over and the picture had dis- 
appeared, “ Prexy ” stood smiling before his 
audience, with the announcement that he had 
something of interest to tell them. Each boy 
waited, almost holding his breath for the next 
words. 

i ‘ It is evident that you all need some method 
of working off your surplus energies,” began 
the master at last in a composed manner. ‘ ‘ That 
picture shows some young fellow here has too 


20 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


much of the Old Nick in him. The question now 
arises as to what we shall do for a remedy.’ ’ 

“ I might require him to do four hours’ work 
extra for a week. I might confine him to the Re- 
flection Room for two days. I might suspend 
him from athletics for a season. But I’m not go- 
ing to do anything of the sort. I shall not per- 
mit anything to mar the success of a movement 
that is to be begun here to-day. All your past 
misdeeds are forgiven, whether I know of them 
or not — unless, of course, some one has com- 
mitted a crime. But I’m sure none of you is 
guilty of any such thing. 

4 4 Now this is what I mean to suggest: How 
would you like to be Boy Scouts? ” 

There was a gasp of surprise throughout the 
room. 

“ Fine! ” “ Great! ” 4 4 Me for that! ” were 
some of the expressions of delight that met the 
question. 

“ Yes, I see you all want to be scouts,” com- 
mented the president, the smile on his face becom- 
ing broader and more genuinely good-natured. 
“ But what do you suppose I mean by a Boy 
Scout? ” 


At Greenwood School 


21 


“ A spy,” replied Hal Kedfern. 

“ A war detective,” called out Burt Cole con- 
fidently. 

“ A fellow that sneaks into the enemy ’s camp,” 
said Dick Harding. 

“ A person sent to watch the danger line and 
to get information,” volunteered Don Collins 
slowly and thoughtfully. 

“ Collins has given the best general descrip- 
tion,” announced the master after waiting some 
moments for further definitions. 

“ I object to all the others because they are of 
a too hostile nature. I don’t want any of you to 
become a spy or a detective or a sneak. But 
there are dangers that every person should be on 
the lookout for, in and out of wartime. There- 
fore, the 6 danger line ’ suggestion of Collins is 
best. For the time being we’ll accept his defini- 
tion — 1 a person sent to watch the danger line 
and to get information.’ Now, what kind of in- 
formation do you think it would be wise to send 
boys after? ” 

“ We might try to find out who drew the pict- 
ure on the blackboard,” suggested Philip Dun- 
bar, one of a small clique of boys who could be 


22 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

depended upon for more mischief and violation 
of rules than all the rest of the school together. 
In fact, Phil was the leader of this set and his 
proposal to the president was received with a 
chill of astonishment. Indeed, there were not a 
few who had suspected Phil of drawing the pic- 
ture. And the chill was not relieved when the 
master replied: 

i i There is no need of that, Dunbar. I know al- 
ready who he is. ’ ’ 

Phil looked boldly at the president but made 
no further answer. The head of the school, how- 
ever, relieved the situation by continuing: 

“ But I have forgiven that misdeed, and the 
author of it need not be afraid. Now, let us for- 
get the incident and discuss this new idea. How 
many of you have heard of the Boy Scouts of 
America? ” 

Nearly every boy in the room raised his hand. 

“ I thought so,” continued President Bacon. 
“ But how many of you know what the organiza- 
tion is and why it exists ? ’ 9 

At first not a hand was raised. Then a few 
went up in an uncertain, hesitating manner. 

“ Tommy Pratt thinks he knows? ” announced 


At Greenwood School 


23 


the president cheerfully. “ I hope he does. 
Well, Pratt, tell us what you know of the sub- 
ject.” 

“ I don’t know very much,” replied Tommy. 
“ All I know is that the Boy Scouts learn to 
shoot guns and to be good soldiers and make long 
marches like they do in the army.” 

“I’m afraid you really don’t know much about 
it, ’ ’ commented the master with a smile of amuse- 
ment. “ How about the rest of you who put up 
your hands? Have you all the same idea that 
Pratt has ? Put up your hands again. ’ ’ 

For a few moments not a hand was lifted. 
Then the president was about to call on one of 
those whom he remembered to have signified will- 
ingness to reply, when Don Collins volunteered 
some information. 

“ Well, Collins, what is it? ” asked the pres- 
ident. 

“ The Boy Scouts,” began Don, “ as I under- 
stand it, go out and seek information at first 
hand. They camp out, go riding, boating, and 
study all kinds of animals and nature in general. 
They learn how to help those who need help, such 
as drowning and injured persons, and they learn 


24 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


hundreds of useful things just as if they thought 
it all fun.” 

“ That’s an excellent explanation,” exclaimed 
the master as Don finished. “ I am proud of 
you, Collins. You’re not a Boy Scout yourself, 
are you? ” 

“ No, sir, I just read about ’em.” 

“ Well, boys, this is all the time we can give 
the subject this morning. Go to your class rooms 
and forget about the Boy Scouts until after rec- 
itations. In a day or two I hope to have my plans 
completed and we will then get down to business. ’ ’ 

The boys filed out of the assembly hall to the 
various recitation rooms to which they were as- 
signed. As Don Collins was passing into the 
main corridor, he noticed two boys just ahead of 
him in earnest conversation. They were Phil 
Dunbar and Tommy Pratt, members of the * i wild 
set ” of the school. Don was not trying to over- 
hear what they were saying. Indeed, the mere 
fact that they were deeply interested in a discus- 
sion of some subject would not have attracted 
more than passing notice. But he heard his name 
mentioned. It was Dunbar speaking. 

“ Don Collins thinks he’s a wise guy because 


At Greenwood School 


25 


lie knows more about the Boy Scouts hi you did. 
I can’t see ’at he knew so terrible much. Any- 
body could’ve guessed that. You could’ve 
guessed it yourself.” 

‘ ‘ Of course I could, ’ ’ asserted Tommy in a con- 
fident manner. “ But say, Phil, who drew the 
picture on the blackboard! Did you! ” 

“ No, I didn’t. But I know who did.” 

“ Who! ” 

“ Don Collins.” 

“ You don’t say! ” 

“I’m dead certain of it. He’s a big bluff. 
He’ll do things like that an’ then try to work 
his way into Porkie’s favor. He’d ought to be 
told on.” 

“ I never thought it was him,” said Tommy. 
“ But if you say so, I reckon it was.” 

“ Of course it’s so. An’ you just watch me; 
I’m goin’ to put Don where he belongs, even if 
Porkie did say he’d forgive ever ’one. See if I 
don’t.” 

The boys were so busy that they did not ob- 
serve Don just behind them. 


CHAPTER III 


A MALICIOUS LETTER 

It was in the early fall of the year that these 
incidents took place. All was life and action at 
Greenwood Academy just after the summer vaca- 
tion, in which the boys had thoroughly rested and 
were ready for the new school year. 

The Boy Scout movement at Greenwood was 
the chief subject of interest for several days. 
Groups would gather on the campus or in the 
gymnasium or other convenient places and dis- 
cuss the project with deep interest. Sometimes 
this interest was favorable and at other times it 
was unfavorable to the plan of President Bacon. 

Some of the boys, particularly the set that ac- 
knowledged the leadership of Phil Dunbar, did 
not take kindly to the definition of Boy Scouts 
offered by Don Collins in the assembly hall when 
the subject was introduced by the master of the 
school. These wanted guns and revolvers and 
swords and knives and hunting and “ real scout- 
ing.’ ’ They argued that the school ought to be 
26 


At Greenwood School 


27 


divided into two armies, with the Dunbar set at 
the head of one of these. 

44 I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” explained Phil 
in conversation with a number of his followers. 
44 We’ll form an organization of our own if 
Porkie tries to put over wishy-washy work like 
Smarty Collins wants.” He was fond of so re- 
ferring to Don. 44 An’ we’ll make things warm 
for them other guys. We’ll get guns an’ re- 
volvers and build a hide-out. An’ if any of the 
goody-guys get gay, we’ll let ’em know we’re 
around.” 

44 But won’t we get into trouble? ” asked Billy 
Beckman, a cautious little fellow who seemed to 
be always making objections to the schemes of 
the bolder fellows of the set. 

44 Oh, cut out that kind of talk, Billy,” replied 
Phil in disgust. 44 You’re always talking that 
way. I don’t know ’at you belong to our bunch 
at all. If you’re afraid, go an’ join the sissy 
crowd — they’re more like your sort.” 

When Billy became angry he had a good deal 
of nerve, as developments will prove. This sort 
of talk woke him up and he retorted : 

44 Well, you can say what you like about Don 


28 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

Collins, but I’ll bet you be can lick you, Pbil-up 
Dunbar.” 

“ Phil-up ” was a humorous nickname fre- 
quently applied to Phil by even his own friends. 

Phil flushed with anger. With doubled fists 
he stepped up to Billy, who was two years 
younger and much smaller than himself. 

“ Mebbe you think you can do the job,” he be- 
gan with a half savage sneer. “ Better not talk 
about what other people can do till it’s been set- 
tled what you can do yourself.” 

“ That’s settled now,” retorted Billy even 
more sturdily than might have been expected. 
“ I reckon you can lick me all right. But if you 
don’t like to have me talk out, don’t talk out 
yourself. ’ ’ 

“ That’s fair enough,” put in Dick Harding 
who was almost as strong a leader as was Phil, 
being in fact almost a rival of the latter among 
the “ wild set.” “ Billy’s kind o’ weak-kneed 
but he’s a pretty good fellow. He knows how to 
keep his mouth shut when he’d ought to.” 

“ What I want to know,” declared the scowl- 
ing Dunbar, “ is where ’d Billy get the idea 
Collie-dog Collins can lick me? Has he been 


At Greenwood School 


29 


braggin’ about it himself? If he has, just bring 
him ’round and I’ll knock seven kinds o’ tar out 
o’ him.” 

“ I didn’t hear him say anything of the kind,” 
answered Billy. “ But I’ve heard a lot about 
the way he can wrassle. Harry Aiken says Don 
threw Charlie Rush and he ’s twenty pounds 
heavier than Collins. I never seen you anxious 
to go up against Rush.” 

“ I can lick Rush any day with the gloves,” 
exploded Dunbar, “ an’ I ain’t a bit afraid o’ 
him in a rough-and-tumble. Mebbe he knows a 
few holds I don’t, but that’s no test who’s the 
best man. Anyhow, it won’t count for much if 
we get down to real business. An’ if you ever 
hear Dan Collins say anything about me, just 
tell him for me I’ll be glad to meet him on any 
terms he wants. I’ll give him all the odds an’ 
lick him to a lay-down. ’ ’ 

This conversation took place Tuesday after- 
noon and resulted in nothing definite, either as 
to a test of strength between Don Collins and 
Phil Dunbar or as to an organization of real 
Boy Scouts as proposed by the latter. Phil had 
only suggested what he might do in case a 


30 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ wishy-washy ” organization such as that de- 
scribed by Don was formed. Saturday there 
were no classes. In the morning President Bacon 
called a meeting of the school to consider anew 
the Boy Scout project. 

Nearly everybody seemed delighted with the 
revolution that had transformed the master into 
a likable man. Some who were humorously in- 
clined suggested that he had discovered a cure 
for indigestion. At any rate, he appeared before 
the boys with a smile, and almost everybody 
seemed to catch the infection of his good nature. 

“ I think Porkie’s playin’ a game,” said Phil 
Dunbar to Larry Lecky. “ He’s got somethin’ 
up his sleeve, you can bet on that. He’s been 
on the sour edge too long to change so sudden.” 

This might seem a natural inference, but Phil 
was wrong. Mr. Bacon had merely found him- 
self up against a necessity and was wise enough 
to meet conditions. 

On this occasion the master of Greenwood pre- 
sented a definite plan for the organization of the 
pupils of his school into a body of Boy Scouts. 
The plan was not elaborate, as the system is sim- 
ple and leaves an opening for originality. He 


At Greenwood School 


31 


told the boys they must begin as “ tenderfeet ” 
and that a few months later they might become 
“ second-class scouts ” by passing an examina- 
tion. In order to become “ first-class scouts,” 
he explained, they must pass a more rigid exam- 
ination, preparation for which would require con- 
siderable work. 

“ Now, boys,” said the president after his 
preliminary remarks, “ I’ve obtained a supply 
of books giving full instructions regarding the 
Boy Scout movement. You’ll be 4 tenderfeet ’ 
to begin with. First of all, we’ll divide the school 
into two troops. This will be done by lot. Then 
I’ll appoint two members of the faculty, Mr. 
Wheeler and Mr. Flood, to act as scout masters. 
The troops will be divided into patrols, and of- 
ficers of these bodies will be selected in accord- 
ance with the rules.” 

The division into troops was quickly effected. 
Then the formation into patrols followed and 
the one hundred and sixty-five boys became ‘ 4 ten- 
derfeet. ” As it happened, Phil Dunbar and Don 
Collins became members of one patrol and were 
rivals for election as leader. 

The patrols consisted of eight members each 


32 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


in most cases and the contests for leadership 
could not be so very exciting. But Stacey Wil- 
liams, a friend and crony of Phil, made a long 
talk in favor of Dunbar for leadership in their 
patrol. This was followed by an equally fervent 
speech from Julian Hartwick in favor of Don. 
When the vote was taken, two ballots were found 
to have been cast for Phil and five for Don. One 
ballot was found to bear the name of Julian. 

The speech of Julian Hartwick in favor of 
Don Collins made a favorable impression. As a 
rule, Hartwick was regarded as something of a 
mystery in the school. But his well-measured 
praise of the good qualities of Collins caused 
many of his fellow patrol associates to forget 
his usual quiet and solitary habits and to feel a 
new interest in him. Julian was generally re- 
spected by the more thoughtful, for it was he who 
received the highest standing in class work and 
examinations. 

But those who measured importance by spend- 
ing money and fine clothes were inclined to snub 
the plainly dressed Hartwick. 

Stacey Williams was something of an orator 
and commanded a good deal of respect in the 


At Greenwood School 


33 


school because of this. He was one of the star 
debaters of the school and his handsome appear- 
ance added to his popularity. But his skill and 
good looks availed him little when he championed 
the cause of Phil Dunbar as patrol leader. 

Phil was enraged over his defeat, but for a 
time he managed to keep his feelings under con- 
trol. After the meeting of the patrol had ad- 
journed, however, he and several of his followers 
retired from the academy buildings and held a 
council of war. There were a number of “ sore- 
heads ” among them, for most of the members 
of the “ Dunbar crowd ” had been defeated in 
their attempts to secure election as patrol 
leaders. 

Meanwhile Don and the other successful can- 
didates immediately held a meeting with the 
president, at which plans were laid for the be- 
ginning of activities in the following week. 

But on Monday morning something happened 
that indicated an unhappy undercurrent in the 
affairs of the school. The master of Greenwood 
received in his mail the following anonymous 
letter written in a disguised hand: 


34 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ President Bacon: 

“ Perhaps it would interest you to know that 
Don Collins is the fellow who drew the picture 
of you on the blackboard in the assembly hall. 
The writer of this note saw him do it.” 


CHAPTER IV 


THE DUNBAR SCHEME 

From the moment of his election as leader of 
a patrol of Boy Scouts, Don Collins knew he had 
enemies in the school. He did his best, how- 
ever, to ignore the evidence of this that was at 
times forced upon him. He even went so far 
as to extend special favors to Phil Dunbar. 

The organization of the Boy Scouts completed, 
attention was next directed toward a program 
of scout work. Information on this subject was 
obtained from the manual President Bacon had 
supplied for the purpose. Because of his facil- 
ity in learning the rules, Don Collins was the 
first boy dubbed with the complimentary title 
of “ Good Scout.” His kindness toward those 
who did not attempt to conceal unfriendliness 
toward him, made him the most popular boy in 
the academy. Julian Hartwick, too, advanced 
in popularity. The manner in which he had 
urged the election of Don as patrol leader had 
started the ball rolling in his favor. He was 
35 


36 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

found to have cast off much of his silent and re- 
tiring manner and to have become one of the 
boys. 

Nobody seemed to know anything about 
Julian’s history. He had been regarded as a 
boy of mystery up to the time of his connection 
with the Boy Scout movement. A number of 
boys, including Don Collins, who was his closest 
friend, made frequent remarks concerning a 
strangeness that seemed to attach to Hartwick. 
Every boy in the institution, except Julian, be- 
longed to a family of standing and even wealth, 
while young Hartwick was said to be as poor as 
Job’s turkey. How he happened to enter such 
a school as Greenwood was another mystery, 
but he paid his tuition and his board bills and 
ranked at the head of his classes and minded his 
own business. This was all that was required 
of him. 

Julian was quick to see the new hostility Phil 
Dunbar held for Don, apparently without any 
ground. Being an admirer of the rough-and- 
ready, honest, athletic patrol leader, young Hart- 
wick determined to keep an eye open for his 
friend’s interests. Also, he meant to thwart, if 


At Greenwood School 


37 


possible, any movement on the part of Dunbar 
or bis associates to injure Don. With this end 
in view, Julian began to feel his way among the 
Dunbar element to 4 4 get on the inside of things ’ ’ 
if possible. 

In Billy Beckman he found just the sort of 
ally he wanted, for Billy was already “ on the 
inside ” and also entertained kindly feelings for 
Don. Although “ Beck,” as he was called, ad- 
mired many ‘ ‘ heroic ’ ’ traits he detected in Phil, 
yet he saw in Don Collins certain qualities not 
to be discovered in Dunbar. If Billy was easily 
led, it was not always the wild, unprincipled 
leader who could take him in tow. 

Phil Dunbar avoided Don after the defeat of 
his own ambition to become a leader in the Boy 
Scout organization. If he had disliked Collins 
before the latter’s rise in power, he afterwards 
hated him and cherished hopes of soon getting 
even. He waited impatiently for results of his 
malicious note to “ Porkie 99 regarding the 
blackboard caricature. But several days passed 
and he heard nothing on the subject. He did 
not confide with any of his cronies concerning 
his act, wisely deciding to keep it a secret. 


38 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

There are certain things, he reasoned, about 
which even the best of friends should know 
nothing. 

Dunbar was far from satisfied with the nature 
of the Boy Scout organization in the school. 
He had hoped that the general outline of the 
work of the scouts as offered by Don Collins on 
the day when i ‘ Prexy ’ ’ first broached the sub- 
ject would prove to be only an ideal easily 
avoided. But developments did not support this 
hope. The president and members of the faculty 
were continually dropping hints about “ peace 
scouting ” and “ honor ” and “ courage 99 and 
‘ ‘ duty 9 9 and ‘ ‘ patriotism , 9 9 and Phil found 
himself becoming heartily sick of the whole 
business. True, many references were made 
to camping out and woodcraft and life saving, 
but these subjects were too much encumbered 
with suggestions of work and details and study 
to suit the wishes of Master Dunbar., Moreover, 
the members of the faculty were too much 
saturated with the idea of making good citizens 
and healthy sober men out of the boys to please 
this advocate of wild life and his idea of a good 
time. 


At Greenwood School 


39 


And so, a few days after the new organiza- 
tion was completed, Phil called a meeting of his 
most faithful followers in an out-of-the-way 
place in the timber half a mile from the school. 
This was a favorite place for discussing sub- 
jects that it was desirable to keep secret. It 
was a small grassy spot on the side of a hill 
and was surrounded by shrubbery. The timber 
was owned by a man who lived in another state, 
and trespassers found themselves free to enjoy 
the beauty and wildness of the place whenever 
they desired. 

Nine of Dunbar’s most trusted colleagues and 
followers were asked to be present at this meet- 
ing. Besides these, Billy Beckman was invited, 
although Phil would gladly have left him out. 
A peculiar circumstance made this inadvisable. 
Billy was a cousin of Stacey Williams and 
Stacey was perhaps the best friend Phil had in 
the school. Moreover, Billy’s father was very 
rich and young Williams, who really was a 
shrewd fellow, knew which side his bread was 
buttered on. The fact was that Stacey’s father 
was only moderately well-to-do and Billy man- 
aged to see that his cousin was occasionally 


40 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

supplied with spending money that Stacey could 
not have obtained at home. Phil Dunbar knew 
nothing of this condition of affairs. He always 
supposed Stacey’s father to be very wealthy. 
But for this, he and Stacey might have been less 
closely associated. But Stacey dressed well and 
seemed to have a supply of pocket money. So 
what other conclusion would have been more 
natural? Phil never showed much inclination 
to favor Billy. He even exercised something of 
a dictatorship over the little fellow, being care- 
ful, however, not to offend the latter’s cousin. 
On the occasion when Dunbar resented Billy’s 
praise of Don Collins as Phil’s physical supe- 
rior, Stacey was not present. 

The boys seated themselves in the grassy 
plot where they had threshed out many of their 
troubles and unfair treatment, imaginary and 
otherwise. They had not come to the meeting 
place in a body, as it was their plan on such oc- 
casions to attract as little attention as possible. 
So they approached from various directions, 
singly or in twos. 

4 4 I called you fellows here to find out what 
you think of the situation,” began Phil after 


At Greenwood School 


41 


all had arrived. “ It seems to me a change is 
needed at Greenwood Academy to keep the 
faculty from makin’ a lot o’ pie-faced sissies 
out o’ us.” * 

“ There’s nobody in the bunch that dis- 
agrees on that,” declared Stacey emphatically. 
“ But what can we do? ” 

“ We might make a kick at home,” suggested 
Phil. “ I bet that would start somethin’.” 

“I’m scared my old man’d take me out o’ 
school if I told him how things were bein’ run,” 
objected Hugh Alford. “ He wouldn’t spend 
much time investigatin’. He’d more’n likely 
put me to work.” 

“ It wouldn’t do to raise a howl at home,” 
added Henry Clayton. “ It’s up to us to show 
Prexy Porkie we’ve got heads o’ our own.” 

Phil slapped Henry on the back and shouted: 
“ Good for you, Hank. With a patrol o’ such 
fellows as you, we ought to show Porkie what 
it takes to make a real scout. 

“ But jokin’ aside, kids, somethin’ ought to 
be done. Let’s form a patrol of our own an’ 
call it Boy Scouts or whatever you want to. 
We’ll go to some secret place an’ build a hide- 


42 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

out o’ some sort and do whatever we please. 
We’ll have guns and revolvers and huntin’ and 
fishin’ outfits. We can ditch some class an’ 
study hours an’ have some great old sport.” 

“ What kind o’ hide-out would you make and 
where ’d you have it ? ” asked Stacey. 

“ A cave or a dugout,” replied Phil. u We can 
have it in the wooded hill over by the river, 
south o’ here. We could even sneak out to- 
night — it will be moonlight — and do our work 
while the good hoys sleep. We can do that in 
shifts night after night and then the work’ll 
be goin’ on all the time.” 

“ That scheme’s O.K.,” chuckled Stacey. 
“ Let’s begin to-night. We’ll go right now an’ 
look over things so we’ll know how to begin.” 

“ Wait! ” exclaimed Phil. “ I’ve got some- 
thin’ more to say. You know what a funny guy 
Church-mouse Jule Hartwick is. I know some- 
thin’ about him. He’s more of a mystery then 
you kids think. He’s sneakin’ out nights for 
some reason right along. There’s somethin’ 
in the wind, I’ll bet you. Say! mebbe Porkie 
suspicions somebody o’ doin’ somethin’ he 
oughtn’t to do and has set Church-mouse spyin’. 


At Greenwood School 


43 


If he suspicions, Prexy may set him watchin’ 
us. Mebbe I’m wrong. Mebbe Church-mouse 
is only doin’ somethin’ of his own he wouldn’t 
have anybody get onto. Whatever it is I can’t 
guess. But there’s somethin’ goin’ on. If 
we’re goin’ to be reg’lar scouts, it’d be fun to 
run Hartwick down and find out what’s his 
game. ’ ’ 

Everybody had a question to ask regarding 
details. Had Phil seen Julian sneak out of the 
dormitory at night? Had he followed him and 
seen where he went? Had he observed anything 
especially suspicious in his actions? 

Yes, Phil said he had seen “ Church-mouse ” 
leave the dormitory at ten o ’clock in the evening 
on two occasions. This was an hour when all 
the boys under the rule of the school were sup- 
posed to be wrapt in slumber. On the second 
occasion Phil had seen the boy mysteriously 
skirt along the edge of the campus under the 
trees and disappear toward the southeast. 

“ How did he leave the dormitory? ” asked 
Stacey. 

“ Through his window.” 

“ Who bunks with him? ” 


44 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ Nobody. He has the little single room on 
the first floor next to the shower baths.” 

‘ ‘ What time did he get back ? Do yon know ? 9 ’ 

“ No. I w T as too sleepy both times to stay 
np and watch. Bnt I saw him come out of his 
room on the morning after the last time I saw 
him sneak out.” 

4 4 Did yon notice anything nnnsnal in him? ” 

“ No, I just looked him square in the eye and 
he looked back at me as innocent as if he was 
wearin’ angel wings / 1 

“ He’s a fox,” said Stacey. “ We’ll have to 
set a trap for him. ’ ’ 


CHAPTER Y 


HINDERED PLANS AND STRANGE ACTIONS 

The boys continued their discussion of the 
Julian Hartwick mystery until they exhausted 
speculation. Their next move was to proceed 
a quarter of a mile to the south and look over 
the ground where it was proposed to make the 
hide-out. The spot was ideal. It was on a hill 
by the river, so formed by nature as to make an 
excellent place of concealment. They worked 
their way through the timber until they came 
to an almost perpendicular section of the hill 
facing the river. This place, just sufficiently 
removed from the water to leave a convenient 
vacant spot in front, was well shielded by a 
forest growth. 

“ Here’s the place we’re lookin’ for,” an- 
nounced Phil with much satisfaction. “ We 
can dig a cave in the side of this bank and if 
we’re careful, nobody’ll ever find us. I tell 
you, kids, it looks like we’re goin’ to have some 
gay old times.” 


46 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ How’ll we find tlie place after dark? ” in- 
quired Billy Beckman dubiously. 

“ There you are, at it again,” answered Dun- 
bar severely. “ Billy, how d’you ever expect to 
do anything? You’re always objectin’ and 
findin’ fault.” 

Phil lost sight of the fact that he was a great 
objector himself. For instance, he had opposed 
all the plans of Don Collins in connection with 
the Boy Scout organization. 

“ Are we cornin’ out here to-night to dig? ” 
was Billy’s only answer. 

“ Some of us are. You don’t need to if you 
don’t want to. You don’t have to do any work 
if you don’t want to. We’ll do it all and you 
can enjoy the benefits.” 

There was downright sarcasm in Phil’s voice 
that Stacey Williams did not like. However, the 
controversy between Dunbar and Billy was 
closed by a suggestion from one of the boys that 
it was time to hurry back for supper. 

But no expedition to the scene of the pro- 
posed cave was made that night. The reason 
for this was that the boys were unable to get 
the needed picks and shovels in time. There- 


At Greenwood School 


47 


fore a postponement was announced until the 
following evening. Another meeting of the Dun- 
barites was held after supper and an organiza- 
tion was formed. At this meeting two new re- 
cruits were present, both having been cautiously 
sounded. When found “ safe ” they were in- 
vited by Phil to be present. The Dunbar con- 
tingent now numbered thirteen but the boys 
were not superstitious as to this “ hoodoo ” 
number. 

The meeting was held in a secluded corner 
of the campus near the gymnasium. Phil Dun- 
bar was elected temporary chairman and later 
president without a dissenting vote. In his own 
circle, at least, he was certainly popular. After 
the election the matter of a name for the or- 
ganization was taken up. 

“ Let’s call ourselves ‘ The Happy Hide-Out 
Club,’ ” suggested Stacey Williams when Pres* 
ident Dunbar announced this order of business. 

This name was so favorably received that it 
was adopted at once in the midst of a burst of 
enthusiasm. Then Stacey proposed that they 
draw up a set of resolutions regarding the pur- 
pose of the organization. 


48 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ That’s a good idea,” said Phil. “ First, 
suppose we set ourselves down as enemies of the 
Boy Scout bunk at Greenwood because it is a 
wishy-washy goody-goody business. Then we’ll 
pledge ourselves in favor of real manhood, such 
as Prexy Porkie never knew anything about — 
bravery, courage, feats of strength and endur- 
ance. We’ll simply turn those sissy friends of 
Collie-dog Collins green with envy. We’ll show 
Prexy and the faculty they ain’t got us under 
their thumbs.” 

“ But we’ll have to take part in the Boy Scout 
programs and follow the rules, won’t we! ” in- 
quired Billy Beckman. 

“ Yes, Billy,” replied Phil with a blink of 
both eyes intended to be very comical. “ We’ll 
make out that we’re obeyin’ orders and we will — 
sometimes. These sometimes ’ll be no more’n 
we’ve got to. O’ course we’ll make the patrol 
leaders and the faculty think we’re workin’ with 
’em just as nice as can be. But all the while we’ll 
work among the boys of the school and win ’em 
over to us one by one. Before Prexy and the 
faculty and Collie-dog and some o’ the others 
know what’s goin’ on, we’ll have a rebellion 


At Greenwood School 


49 


started. And they won’t be able to stop it until 
we get what we want. Then, some fine day, we’ll 
spring it on the goody-goody bunch and cause a 
revolution. You fellows just stick with me and 
I’ll show you how to do things.” 

Before the boys adjourned to reach the dormi- 
tory at the required time, nine o’clock under the 
rules of the school, Stacey Williams was made 
secretary and asked to draw up a set of articles 
outlining the purpose of the club and to present 
it at the next meeting. The membership also was 
divided into two shifts to work on alternate nights 
at the digging of the proposed cave near the 
river. A coin was tossed to determine which of 
these divisions should begin the work on the fol- 
lowing night. This duty fell to the division of 
which Dunbar was a member. Each member of 
the club agreed to buy a shovel or a spade or a 
pick or an axe for use in this labor. 

Meanwhile Don Collins was busy day after day, 
minding his own business. He knew Dunbar bore 
no love for him but he hoped that by treating 
Phil as well as he knew how the situation might be 
relieved. But it is no easy task to work with a 
person who doesn’t like you. And Phil’s un- 


50 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


friendliness was even tlie more trying since it was 
the covered-up kind. At times Don thought he was 
beginning to win the friendship of his enemy. 
Then an unguarded word or look in Phil’s eyes 
warned him to be on the watch. 

President Bacon said nothing about the un- 
signed letter regarding the caricature. Having 
undergone a change of heart concerning methods 
of managing his pupils, he knew that the criticism 
of himself in the drawing was well merited. He 
therefore decided to take his medicine in silence. 
When he told Phil Dunbar, in the presence 
of the entire school, that he knew who drew the 
picture, he was not strictly speaking the truth. 
However, he did not intentionally utter a false- 
hood for he really believed Phil was the culprit. 
But he did not know it positively. 

The president carefully examined the anony- 
mous letter, paying particular attention to the 
handwriting. He compared it with writing of 
Dunbar on file among examination papers, but it 
was so cleverly disguised that the master of Green- 
wood could not fix the authorship. 

On the day following the organization of the 
Happy Hide-out Club, Phil was made the victim 


At Greenwood School 


51 


of a disappointment through Don Collins. Of 
course, Don had no intention of doing anything 
that would cause his enemy trouble of mind. That 
was not his method of converting such people into 
friends. But the thing happened without design 
on the part of the patrol leader, and meanwhile 
Don knew nothing of the bitter feelings that were 
aroused toward him in consequence. 

The act that incensed Phil was the calling of 
a camping expedition of the patrol. The time of 
starting for this outing was on the afternoon just 
before the evening when Dunbar and several of 
his pals were planning to begin work on the cave 
of the Happy Hide-outers. This camping out 
was scheduled to last several days. Four patrols 
were to go together and to be accompanied by a 
member of the faculty. To be sure, Don was not 
responsible for such a move. He was merely fol- 
lowing the orders of his superiors. But Phil 
chose to blame the patrol leader for this inter- 
ference with his own plans, pretending to believe 
Don had “ put Prexy up to it.” 

Word was hurriedly passed among the members 
of the outlaw club, informing all of the effects of 
the camping-out call. At the same time Phil 


52 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


issued permission for such of his followers as 
were so inclined, to proceed to the site of the pro- 
posed new hide-out on that night and begin work. 

The new Boy Scout movement was regarded by 
the president and the faculty as an important 
part of the school work. Therefore, excursions 
were planned along with the general course of 
work. The country for miles around the school 
and the neighboring city was thickly wooded and 
picturesque with river banks and numerous hills. 
The camping place selected for the outing of the 
four patrols was about five miles east of the school 
and near the river. 

The trip to this place was made in a steam 
launch belonging to the school. A clean lawn-like 
opening not far from the river bank was selected 
and tents were pitched. The boys were clothed 
in the regulation brown suits, knee bloomer-like 
pants and rough rider hats of the Boy Scout style. 
All went to work with a will, even Dunbar taking 
considerable interest in the proceedings and for 
the time forgetting the keeness of his disappoint- 
ment. 

On that evening many of these boys learned 
their first lesson in camping out under the Boy 


i 


At Greenwood School 53 

Scout system. This was closely related to wood- 
craft, of which the scouts were about to make an 
intimate study. Some of them cast lines into the 
river and caught a supply of bass for supper. 
Others were engaged in making the camp com- 
fortable or in preparing for the supper. The 
meal was eagerly enjoyed by all, again not ex- 
cluding Phil Dunbar, who spoke with unusual 
cheerfulness to Don Collins on several occasions. 

After supper the scouts sat around in a circle 
discussing the pleasure of their outing and tell- 
ing stories. Mr. Flood, the member of the faculty 
in charge of the boys, was the leading spirit in all 
their doings, ably assisted by Don Collins and, to 
the surprise of many, Julian Hartwick. At last 
the boys became sleepy and a motion that they 
turn in was welcomed by all. 

As it was a dry, clear, warm night, most of the 
boys decided to sleep outside the tents, although 
comfortable sleeping accommodations were pro- 
vided within these. They spread blankets on the 
ground, improvised pillows or did without them 
as they pleased, and soon most of the scouts were 
asleep. But, to be correct, two of the boys were 
not inclined to sleep. And neither of these knew 
of the wakefulness of the other. 


54 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

One of these sleepless fellows was Julian Hart- 
wick and the other was Phil Dunbar. Why Phil 
should not have closed his eyes in forgetfulness 
of his surroundings and his troubles would be 
hard to state. Perhaps it was because he was 
thinking hard. As for Julian, he had a very clear 
and definite reason for not going to sleep. But 
this is not the place for explaining it. 

The moon rose over the trees and looked down 
on the slumbering camp. Presently one supposed 
sleeper arose on his elbow and looked cautiously 
around. Unconsciousness seemed to have set- 
tled over the whole camp excepting himself. Then 
the alert boy removed the light blanket that cov- 
ered him, raised himself to a half crouching 
position and sneaked carefully off toward the 
timber. It was Julian Hartwick. 

But he was not unobserved. A pair of keen eyes 
was watching his every movement. As he neared 
the edge of the timber, Phil Dunbar also arose 
and crouchingly followed the mysterious Boy 
Scout. 


CHAPTER VI 


REAL SCOUTING 

There is usually a twig that is stepped upon 
and snapped by the hero or villain who is 
endeavoring to keep secret his movements. Per- 
haps a scout of pioneer times or even a well- 
trained Boy Scout would never have committed 
such a blunder. Put Phil Dunbar did it and the 
natural consequences followed. 

Snap! It was a noise loud enough to terrify 
the already fear-excited Dunbar. Pie had stepped 
on a sapless twig and broken it. He expected 
Julian to turn, and to see the whole camp aroused. 
But to his astonishment and relief there followed 
no such result. He halted for a few moments, 
prepared to throw himself upon the ground. Then 
he cautiously continued on his way after the 
disappearing Plartwick. 

Perhaps Don Collins had reached that stage in 
his dreams where a snapping noise was just the 
thing to startle and awaken him. At any rate, 
something caused him to pop open his eyes at 
5 o 


56 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

that moment. He was just in time to see the 
astonishing scene in the little drama that was 
being enacted. All he had to do was to open his 
eyes and look. It was not necessary for him to 
change his position in the least. 

So well composed was he and so vividly did 
the scene impress him that he remained motion- 
less as long as the fading figures remained in 
view. He was uncertain for several moments 
whether he was awake or asleep and after he had 
decided that he was awake he found himself 
wondering if he was in his right mind. Just as 
Phil was disappearing within the shadows Don 
decided that at least something peculiar was go- 
ing on. 

He had recognized both the boys, Julian in ad- 
vance and in the timber and Phil following in a 
stealthy, suspicious manner. Although Don knew 
less than Phil about the mystery surrounding 
Julian, the present situation was enough to set 
his wits agog and to make him alive to a lot of 
possibilities. 

Phil was no sooner within the blackness of the 
trees than Don was also on his feet and in pur- 
suit. He did not stop to find out if anybody else 


At Greenwood School 57 

were awake and watching but gave his whole at- 
tention to those ahead and to taking every pre- 
caution against being detected. He was careful 
not to make the blunder made by Phil, that of 
stepping on a stick. He knew how to travel with 
a yielding step that reduced the possibility of 
noise. 

But this precaution did not interfere with his 
speed and he soon had Phil again in sight. The 
latter was moving rapidly after the fleeing Hart- 
wick through the woodland shadows and moon- 
light. Why Julian should make such speed was 
unexplainable. But, after he had gone about two 
hundred yards, he slowed down to a rapid walk. 
Apparently he had fled from the camp at a swift 
pace because he wished to get out of sight of any 
of his schoolmates who might awaken. Then, in 
his eagerness to be on the safe side he had con- 
tinued to run several minutes after it would have 
been impossible for anyone in the camp to see 
him. 

But his continued hurried pace even after he 
had ceased to run, indicated that he also had 
other reasons for haste. This fact was not im- 
mediately evident to Don, for he was unable to 


58 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


get more than an indistinct view of Julian in the 
course of the pursuit, but the speed of the lead- 
ing boy was easily measured by that of Dunbar, 
whom Don was careful to keep in plain sight. 

The mbon was shining brightly, otherwise Don 
might have been unable to do this. Since all the 
conditions seemed to favor him, Don would have 
really enjoyed the pursuit had it not been that 
there was a suggestion of recklessness in the 
escapade that made him fearful of results. 

4 4 If Phil Dunbar means mischief to Julian, 
Pm go in’ to see that he don’t succeed,” Don told 
himself with compressed lips and clenched fists. 
“ There’s somethin’ mighty funny about this an’ 
I want to know what it is. What Julian means 
ain’t none o’ my business, but it seems to be my 
duty to find out about Phil. ’ ’ 

The course continued through the timber for 
half a mile, there being a beaten path that the 
leader followed part of the way. The strung-out 
boys climbed two fences before they came to an 
open stretch of pasture land which continued for 
another half mile. Then they followed a road 
another mile, when Julian suddenly led his pur- 
suers into the timber again. 


At Greenwood School 


59 


During the course of this singular journey there 
was scant evidence of human occupation of the 
land. The forests were large, and apparently 
little use was made of them. The open land was 
devoted to pasturage but these fields were so 
large in comparison with the number of farm 
animals on them, that they seemed almost de- 
serted. 

In the part of the journey that led the boys 
along the open highway, Phil dropped to a greater 
distance behind Julian than when they were pass- 
ing through the woods. Don fell back to a corre- 
spondingly greater distance behind Phil. This 
the pursuers did of course, that there might be 
less chance of discovery. 

Don was not personally afraid of being dis- 
covered, for he had no fear of a physical encoun- 
ter with his enemy. But he knew that to carry 
on the present investigation he must not permit 
any spirit of bravado to interfere with his plans. 

Likewise Phil was exceedingly cautious in fol- 
lowing Julian. He kept himself constantly on the 
alert, ever ready to drop to the ground if the boy 
ahead of him should turn to examine the road or 
the timber behind. Julian, however, never once 


60 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


looked to tlie rear after getting away from the 
camp. He felt that he had made good his depart- 
ure unobserved and it never occurred to him to 
look for “ scouts on his trail.” 

Before the trip was finished, both Phil and Don 
surmised that the reason Julian had traveled so 
rapidly was that he wished to he able to return to 
the camp in good season. In this they were right. 
The course that Julian took led at first directly 
from the river. But the stream made a bend far- 
ther along and as the boys neared the end of their 
trip they found themselves close to the water 
once more. Julian now led the way from the open 
road through a stretch of woods about a quarter 
of a mile wide, and into a good sized clearing. 
In the midst of this were standing a small one- 
story house and what appeared to be a large barn. 

Only one sign of activity was to be seen in the 
place. That was smoke pouring out of a large 
chimney or smokestack on the barn. From this 
building also issued certain peculiar sounds that 
one would not have expected in such a place. 
Otherwise, the clearing presented a picture of 
desertion. No fences, no pig pens, no chicken 
coops — nothing to indicate a farmer’s home. 


At Greenwood School 


61 


The sounds from the “ barn ” falling upon 
one ’s ear at such a time and in such an out-of-the- 
way place, lent a weirdness to the scene that was 
almost uncanny. The strange accoustics of the 
“ barn ” caused the noises to rise in a deep, 
heavy yet hollow tone, almost as if from an empty 
vault. It seemed as if a machine shop of some 
sort were being operated by laboring ghosts. 

The beating of a hammer, the rasping of a saw 
on metal, the running of machinery by steam 
power — all were heard by the three boys along 
the edge of the clearing. To them the sounds 
came with widely varying sensations. Julian 
knew what was going on within the structure. 
Phil did not know and was cudgeling his brain 
for a solution. Don was entangled in a double 
problem; that of the original mystery connected 
with the mission of the Hartwick boy and the 
remarkable actions of the boy who was spying on 
Julian. The situation had its dramatic side. 

But the boys had not stood at the edge of the 
timber long before one of them ended the sus- 
pense. It was Julian, who put his fingers to his 
mouth and blew three shrill whistle-blasts. The 
signal was answered by the opening of a door, and 


62 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

the whistler hurried into the open and approached 
the building. The swinging of the door, although 
it let out a shaft of light into the shadow of the 
barn, did not afford a good view of the interior. 
The form of a man stood in the doorway. As 
Julian passed in, the door was closed and the 
watchers outside were little the wiser for the 
scene that had just been enacted. 

No sooner had Julian entered the building, 
however, than it became evident to Don that Phil 
was bent on a new move. The latter, as an evi- 
dence of this intention, stepped out from beneath 
the trees and approached the structure within 
which the Hartwick boy had disappeared. It 
soon became evident that his purpose was to get 
a view of the interior. He moved around the 
building, examining it closely, while Don ran with 
all his speed around the edge of the clearing to 
keep the form of the inquisitive boy in view. 

Of course Don had some difficulty in accom- 
plishing his purpose, for he had much the longer 
path to travel. Finally, however, as he rounded 
one corner of the building at a distance of a hun- 
dred feet or more, he found that Phil had stopped 
and was evidently enjoying something of a fulfill- 


At Greenwood School 


63 


ment of his wishes. It was on the side of the 
barn on which the moon shone, and Don in the 
woods could plainly see the scout in the center 
of the clearing with face close to a window 
through which he was eagerly peering. 

Now Don, although much mystified by the 
strange actions of his friend Julian, had confi- 
dence in that boy and was disposed to protect his 
interests whenever called upon to do so. He real- 
ized the questionable appearance of his friend’s 
actions and the unhappy thought came to him that 
here might be an explanation of how this seem- 
ingly poor boy was able to pay his way at an 
expensive school. This might be the headquarters 
or 6 6 plant ” of a counterfeiting gang or of some 
other law violators with whom Julian was con- 
nected. The bare suspicion of such a possibility 
filled Don with horror. He even longed to rush 
forward and take his friend aside to question him 
about such possible associations. But, as he re- 
membered the frank, open, honest expression 
always to be found on Julian’s countenance he 
abandoned this thought. 

Don at once put aside his desire to penetrate the 
secret of Julian’s actions. And he instantly de- 


64 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

spised Phil because of the latter’s disposition to 
pry into his friend’s business, especially when he 
probably had no other purpose than one inspired 
by malice. So he had not long watched the spy- 
ing figure of Dunbar by the window of the mys- 
terious building before he determined to make 
some move to thwart his design. 

But the problem was how to accomplish this 
without revealing his own presence. Time was fly- 
ing. Every moment Phil was undoubtedly getting 
information that would be used for the injury of 
the boy who had led them into this remarkable 
place. What could Don do to compel Phil to aban- 
don his spying position? 

Suddenly a thought came to him. At his feet 
he noticed many stones of various sizes. He 
picked up several of these. He was already con- 
cealed in the shadows of the trees but in order 
to make his concealment doubly certain, he 
stepped behind a tree. Then he shied one of the 
stones toward Dunbar. It lit within a few feet of 
the spying boy and startled him nearly out of his 
wits. 

Dunbar jumped back in alarm and cried out in 
his astonishment. Then he looked hurriedly 


At Greenwood School 


65 


around to discover the source of the disturbance. 
He peered in every direction, even looking around 
the corners of the building, but could discover 
nothing to explain the source of his alarm. This 
seemed to reassure him and he cautiously returned 
to the window. 

Don was highly gratified at the effect of his first 
attempt. So much satisfaction had he found in 
the experiment that he decided he would keep it 
up in an effort to bewilder Phil into confusion 
and panic. But Don’s enthusiasm got the better 
of him. When he threw the next stone — crash ! 
— it went right through the window where Phil 
was standing. 


CHAPTER VII 


A PLACE OF MYSTERY 

A more frightened person that Phil Dunbar 
when the stone zipped through the window pane 
like a bullet, it would be hard to find. He did not 
wait to investigate but turned and fled, running, 
as it chanced, directly toward the spot where the 
hurler of the missile was standing. 

Don saw him coming and hugged close to the 
tree. As the scurrying Phil passed, Don emitted 
a sound like the fierce snarling of some wild ani- 
mal. At this the terrified Phil let forth a 
shrill yell that rang through the forest. The 
sound did not fall pleasantly on Don’s ears and 
he began to rebuke himself at once for his reck- 
lessness. It was certain now that he must make 
all haste to get clear of the vicinity. The occu- 
pants of the building would surely let no grass 
grow under their feet until the breaking of the 
window and the frightened scream had been in- 
vestigated. Don was also certain that Phil’s 
fright was all that was necessary to drive him 
66 


At Greenwood School 


67 


from the neighborhood and possibly back to the 
camp. 

But before Don could make a move to escape, 
the door at the front end of the building, if it 
might be said to have a front, was thrown hastily 
open and several persons, including Julian, rushed 
out. That they had an understanding as to what 
direction to take to reach the source of the dis- 
turbance was evident. Don quickly turned and 
followed the fleeing Phil in order to escape cap- 
ture himself. He felt certain that he had not been 
seen by the pursuers. But he advanced carefully 
in his flight lest he make a sound that would give 
the investigators useful information. 

As he did not wish to stumble onto Phil Dunbar, 
Don changed his course to a direction that he be- 
lieved would avoid the path of the first fugitive. 
His reasoning was correct and he saw nothing of 
Phil as he raced through the woods for several 
hundred yards. 

Then he stopped and listened. Not a sound of 
pursuit reached his ears. The question then arose 
as to what he should do next. Ought he to remain 
in the neighborhood and watch for the possible 
return of Dunbar? Or ought he hasten back to 
camp? 


68 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

These questions could not be answered without 
deliberation and even then any decision would 
be doubtful. True, it seemed that Phil must have 
been frightened nearly out of his wits by the 
startling incidents, but there was a question of 
how long his terror might last. He might, in- 
deed, recover his courage after finding he had 
eluded his pursuers, and decide to return and 
continue his investigation. 

Don remained standing for several minutes, de- 
liberating on the situation. Finally he decided to 
sit down and rest, for he had been exerting him- 
self and now found that he was very tired. So in- 
teresting had been the developments of the night, 
that up to this time he had paid no attention to 
his physical condition. Now he was astonished 
to find how nearly exhausted he was. This con- 
dition was not merely a result of his long journey 
but because of the rough nature of the country 
over which he had traveled. It is no easy task 
to race two miles or more through thick timber 
and over unknown ground at night, no matter how 
well lighted by the moon. Moreover, the excite- 
ment contributed much toward Don’s exhaustion, 
although it also kept him alert and active while 
exertion was necessary. 


At Greenwood School 


69 


Don did not know how long lie sat with his back 
against a tree and turning over the problem as to 
what the next move ought to be. Perhaps it was 
half an hour. In this time he heard not a sound 
of pursuit and finally convinced himself that none 
had been made beyond the limits of the clearing. 
Thereupon he decided to return and make an in- 
spection of the clearing and, if he saw no signs of 
Phil, to return at once to camp. 

Don had no difficulty in finding the place again, 
being aided by the moon, whose position in refer- 
ence to the buildings he had observed. Moreover, 
as he reapproached the place he could hear again 
the sounds of the workers ’ tools and the machinery 
and concluded that the throwing of the stone and 
the smashing of the window had not been taken 
very seriously. 

No sign of Phil was seen by Don when he 
reached the edge of the clearing and looked searcli- 
ingly for the young spy. Then he made a circuit 
of the place, cautiously keeping within the shad- 
ows of the trees and muffling his tread. He de- 
voted several minutes to this inspection and, 
observing nothing suspicious, at last decided to 
return to the camp. He had no means of de- 


70 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


termining whether Julian was still in the building 
but concluded that his friend had not yet de- 
parted unless his mission was merely that of a 
messenger and had been quickly performed. 

His investigation finished to his satisfaction, 
Don set out on the return trail. He easily decided 
on the general direction in which the camp lay, 
relative to the open place in the woods, and he 
traveled with good confidence during most of the 
return journey. But as he approached the sup- 
posed vicinity of the tents and his sleeping fellow 
scouts, he found himself considerably at a loss 
as to the exact locality of the place. The posi- 
tion of the moon had changed several degrees dur- 
ing his absence and this added to his uncertainty. 
When he started from the camp, he had taken no 
time to make calculations concerning his direction. 

But finally, after wandering about for several 
minutes, convinced several times that he was lost, 
he struck the river. This gave him new con- 
fidence and he was sure that he had not traveled 
farther than the tents. Following the bank of 
the stream for a quarter of a mile, he was sud- 
denly gratified by a view of the white tent canvas 
showing yellow in the moonlight. 


At Greenwood School 71 

It was long after midnight and Don was certain 
that in spite of the exciting experiences of the 
night he would fall asleep the moment his head 
touched the pillow. He wondered if Phil had yet 
returned. He would have made a search for him 
and for Julian also, but he was afraid of being 
discovered. He did not know just where either of 
them had been lying before they set out on their 
mysterious journey and he could make out only 
one unused blanket on the ground. This caused 
him to suspect that Phil had returned and that 
Julian was still away. 

Don’s prediction that he would fall asleep at 
once was fulfilled and he knew nothing more un- 
til the morning sun, shining full in his face, awak- 
ened him. Phil and Julian were both in camp. 
The latter was already up and stirring around 
assisting in preparing breakfast. Phil was still 
asleep, lying on a blanket about twenty-five feet 
from the spot where Don had slept. But he soon 
awoke, arose and made his toilet, which consisted 
of washing his face and hands and combing his 
hair. 

Nothing in the manner of either Phil or Julian 
indicated a suspicion directed toward Don, al- 


72 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

though the latter observed Dunbar frequently 
watching the Hartwick boy in a peculiar manner. 
Don studied the situation seriously. He wondered 
if he ought not make a confession to Julian and 
tell him all that had occurred the night before. 
It might enable his- friend to guard against further 
sneaking actions by his enemy. But the uncer- 
tainty of Julian’s mission to the sequestered spot 
in the woods caused Don to hesitate. The con- 
sequence was that he did nothing. 

The day was spent by the campers in following 
a Boy Scout program. They had to work it out 
together, and the instructor, Mr. Flood, found 
that he as well as the boys was something of a 
pupil, for he discovered that some of the young 
scouts could teach him a good deal in the art of 
woodcraft. However, all worked out the pro- 
gram with mutual interest and much benefit. 
They stalked animals of the hills and the timber, 
such as porcupines, rabbits and birds, and watched 
their actions and made notes of peculiarities they 
could not understand. They examined the bark 
of various trees and endeavored to find interest- 
ing peculiarities in the vegetation about them. 

This occupied the attention of the boys for the 


At Greenwood School 


73 


day. Don and Julian worked together a good 
part of the time. Before this, although they had 
always been good friends, they had never asso- 
ciated with each other intimately enough to feel 
the friendship that exists between chums. On 
this day, however, the two exchanged confidences. 

Julian heard from Don that the latter’s home 
was in Chicago, that his parents were dead and 
that an uncle was his guardian. His father had 
been a merchant and his uncle had been his 
father’s partner before the latter’s death. 

Don learned that Julian also was an orphan 
and that his home had been a small town in Wis- 
consin before his parents died. At present, how- 
ever, he had no permanent home, although he 
visited occasionally a brother in Madison, Wis- 
consin. His vacations were devoted to any labor 
that would enable him to save money for the ex- 
penses of the succeeding school year. But Don 
could not help wondering at this. It seemed hardly 
probable that so young a person as Julian could 
command sufficient wages to supply any consider- 
able part of the money needed for paying the hills 
at such an expensive school as Greenwood. How- 
ever, he did not become inquisitive and he accepted 


74 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

as sufficient the information his friend volun- 
teered. Don would have been pleased had Julian 
offered some explanation of the mystery of the 
night journey to the distant place in the woods. 
But he had a habit of minding his own business 
and the subject was not mentioned by either. 
Nevertheless, because of the frank countenance 
of this fellow Boy Scout, Don was willing to give 
him the benefit of every doubt. 

On one occasion when the two boys happened 
to be alone in the timber carrying out a part of 
the day’s program, they fell into a talk which 
ran as follows : 

“ You and Phil Dunbar seem to be gettin’ along 
better than usual,” said Julian. “ How’d it hap- 
pen 1 Have you made up 1 ’ ’ 

“ Oh, we never had any quarrel exactly,” re- 
plied Don, “ although he always acted as if he’d 
like to chew my ears off. Yes, he has been a little 
more decent, out here anyway. I hope he’s get- 
tin’ over his grouch. But how is it between you 
and him, Jule? He never had a lot o’ love for 
you, did he ? ” 

“ Not much. He seemed to be thinkin’ more of 
the bunch he bosses around as he pleases.” 


At Greenwood School 


75 


“ How’s lie acted toward yon out here? ” asked 
Don with a deeper meaning than was apparent on 
the surface. 

“ Kind o’ decent. I am su ’prised, too. Don’t 
know what to make of it. I never thought he had 
any use for me at all.” 

“ I’m sorry to see one thing,” went on Don. 
“ I don’t like to see Beck under Phil’s thumb. 
Billy ain’t a bad fellow but he’s dragged around 
too much by fellows I don’t stand for.” 

“ He hasn’t been with the Dunbar bunch yes- 
terday or to-day, ’ ’ replied J ulian. 4 4 Prof. Flood 
has him in tow. I guess he’s got his eye on 
Billy.” 

At suppertime the boys laid their hats aside, 
for Mr. Flood informed them there were certain 
table manners that should be observed even out 
in the woods where etiquette is supposed to be 
forgotten. After the meal was finished most of 
the boys put on their headgear again, but Don 
and Julian were each surprised to find a bit of 
folded paper pinned to his hat. Suspecting a 
joke, Julian examined his and read the following, 
written with a lead pencil : 


76 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ Look out. You are being watched day and 
night. 

A Friend/ ’ 

Don’s note, similarly written, read thus: 

“ Don’t be fooled by P. D’s friendly manner. 
He means mischief. He wrote a note to Prexy 
telling him you drew the picture on the black- 
board. 


A Friend.” 


CHAPTER VIII 

GHOST STORIES 

“ Somebody watchin’ me! What for? ” 

‘ ‘ Who in the world did that ? ’ ’ 

These were the questions Julian and Don asked 
themselves after they read the notes that had been 
pinned to their hats. Don looked at Julian and 
saw him gazing at a bit of paper in his hand and 
he guessed correctly that his friend had also re- 
ceived an anonymous warning. But he thrust 
his own into his pocket with the intention of say- 
ing nothing about it for the present. He knew 
more about the Hartwick boy’s affairs than the 
latter suspected, and he feared that it might cause 
his friend embarrassment if he attempted to ex- 
change confidences about the notes. 

Julian, however, felt no such hesitation. Al- 
though he had secrets he wished to keep from 
Collins, he felt that his patrol leader was the only 
boy in camp in whom he cared to confide on the 
subject of his mysterious warning. So he watched 
his opportunity and, a little later, called Don 
aside. 


77 


78 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ I want to see you alone, Don,” lie said. 
“ Let’s take a stroll in the woods.” 

Collins consented, suspecting what liis friend 
wanted. He was glad that Julian had taken this 
course, as he desired to talk the matter over with 
him. After they were out of sight of the camp 
they stopped under a large oak. There Julian 
presented his note. 

“ See what I found pinned to my hat after 
supper.” 

Don read and of course was not surprised. He 
knew who was watching Julian. Then he gave 
his own note to his friend, saying : 

“ See what I found pinned to mine.” 

Julian read, nor was he greatly surprised. He 
was prepared to suspect anything of Phil Dunbar. 

“ Who do you think’s watchin’ me! ” asked 
Hartwick. 

“ It’s Phil,” replied Don. 

“ How do you know? ” 

“ I’ve seem him. He thinks you’re up to some- 
thin’ funny, I guess.” 

“ But this note says I’m bein’ watched 1 day 
an’ night.’ ” 

“ Mebbe you are. But I think you needn’t 


At Greenwood School 


79 


care. I bet lie’s got an idea he’d make a crack 
detective an’ is practicin’ on yon.” 

4 4 Is he watckin’ you? ” 

44 Not that I know of. Mebbe he is though. 
You see what my note says about him.” 

44 What kid wrote these notes, Don? ” 

44 I don’t know, Jule. I’m goin’ to try to find 
out.” 

44 So’m I.” 

This ended their interview and the two boys 
returned to the camp. 

There was work that kept all hands busy for 
an hour. Then Mr. Flood announced that all was 
ready for the night. It was still early and several 
suggestions were made as to what the boys should 
do before turning in. None of them, however, 
seemed practicable, because of the falling dark- 
ness, until Don proposed they tell stories. 

44 That’s a good idea,” commended Mr. Flood. 
4 4 Come on, boys ; sit around in a circle and we ’ll 
begin. ’ ’ 

44 We ought to have a camp fire,” said Billy 
Beckman. 

44 Another good idea,” announced the instruc- 
tor. 44 We won’t build a big one, as the owner 


80 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

of this land might object, and, besides, it’s a warm 
evening. Some of you boys gather a few dead 
limbs and well start things going in regular 
scout style.” 

This work was quickly performed and fiery 
tongues were soon licking their way through a 
little pile of wood, around which all gathered. It 
was now almost as dark as it ever becomes under 
a clear, starlit sky. The depths of the woods 
were masses of blackness. Near the east edge of 
the clearing were the ruins of an old shanty that 
had been used for sleeping quarters of wood- 
cutters several years before. Here and there in 
the clearing was a stump of a tree that, in the 
darkness, appeared like a tombstone warning to 
the score of forest giants that looked mutely down 
upon them. 

In the midst of this scene the little fire blazed, 
and the company of white-faced boys sitting 
around the burning limbs inspired this suggestion 
from Hon Collins : 

“ Let’s tell ghost stories.” 

“ That’s the stuff.” 

“ Ghost stories! ” 

“ Who’ll tell the first one? ” 


At Greenwood School 


81 


These and other expressions of approval set- 
tled the matter. 

“ It’s np to you, Don,” said one of the hoys. 
“ You got to start the ball rollin’.” 

“ I can’t think of one,” replied Collins. “ Let 
some one else start it. “ I’ll try an’ have one 
ready next.” 

Don had an idea and he wanted time to get it 
into shape. He wanted to tell a story that would 
interest everybody and also contain a subtle mean- 
ing for the benefit of Phil Dunbar. Mr. Flood 
proved to be a good teller of ghost stories and he 
related one with a comical climax that pleased 
the boys very much. But Collins did not listen 
to it. He was thinking hard. When the instruc- 
tor had finished and the boys had had a good 
laugh, Mr. Flood said: 

“ Now, Don, it’s your turn.” 

“ All right,” assented Don. “ Here goes: 

‘ ‘ It was a dark and lonely night — ’ ’ 

“ Course it was,” interrupted Bert Foster. 
“ Ghosts are asleep any other time.” 

“ But this is an Indian ghost. They never go 
to sleep. As I was sayin’: It was a dark an’ 
lonely night. An Indian maiden sat alone in her 
father’s cabin — ” 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


6 ‘ Indians don ’t have cabins ; they have wig- 
wams/’ objected Phil Dunbar. 

“ They have ’em on the reservations,” replied 
Don, who had decided for the purpose of his story 
that he must have windowpanes in the Indian 
home, and he could not put them in a wigwam. 

“ Well, this Indian girl sat alone in her father’s 
cabin on the reservation one dark and lonely 
night. As she sat there, she heard a knock on the 
door. She knew who it was, for she expected her 
sweetheart — ’ ’ 

“ Haw! haw! He’s tellin’ us a love story,” 
shouted Phil. i 1 Who cares fer that? ” 

“ Wait till he has finished. Then we’ll answer 
you, Phil,” advised Mr. Flood. 

‘ i It was her sweetheart, an’ she let him in. But 
she had two sweethearts. The other one she 
hated an’ would have nothing to do with. But 
this one followed his rival through the woods to 
the cabin that night an’ while the lovers were — 
were — ’ ’ 

“ Spoonin’,” suggested Lee Browning. 

“Yes; I guess that’ll do,” assented Don. 
“ While the lovers were spoonin’, the bad Indian 
crept up to the window an ’ looked in. ’ ’ 


At Greenwood School 


83 


“ Where does the ghost come in? ” exclaimed 
Billy Beckman. 

“ He’ll come in all right if you’ll wait,” re- 
plied Bon. “ This is an airship ghost story.” 

“ Ghosts don’t travel in airships,” objected 
Billy good-naturedly. 

4 4 Indian ghosts do. An’ this Indian ghost was 
on the lookout for treachery. He was watchin’ 
the bad Indian, who had a long knife in his hand 
an’ looked wicked. The ghost didn’t want to 
commit murder — Indian ghosts never do that — 
so he decided to scare the bad Indian away. He 
flew down to the ground, left his aeroplane in the 
woods — it could sail right through the trees, you 
know — an’ picked up some stones.” 

“ Ghosts couldn’t pick up stones,” objected 
Billy again. He seemed to regard himself as an 
authority on ghosts. 

“ Indian ghosts can,” replied Don. “ You see, 
this ghost had been in love with this girl before 
he was killed.” 

“ Who killed him? ” inquired Bert Foster. 

“ The Indian at the window. He had it in for 
every other Indian that liked the girl. Well, the 


84 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

ghost picked up some stones and began to fire 
them at the bad Indian at the window. ’ ’ 

As Don reached this point in the story, he 
glanced carelessly at Phil. The latter gave a 
little start that did not escape Don. 

“ What did he do that for? ” asked some one. 

“ To scare the bad Indian away,” replied Don. 

“ Did he scare? ” 

“ Yon bet. The first stone struck near the In- 
dian. But he didn’t see anything, because the 
ghost was standin’ behind a tree. He looked 
around, and then went back to the window. While 
he was peekin’ in again the ghost threw another 
stone. ’ ’ 

Don’s audience was now all eagerness. Don 
hesitated and gazed carelessly toward Phil. 

“ Did it hit ’im? ” inquired one of the boys 
impatiently. 

“ No,” answered Don slowly: “ it didn’t hit 
him. It crashed right through the window ! ’ ’ 

Phil gave a real start this time. He was trem- 
bling now, but nobody besides Don observed his 
panic. Julian, too, was wondering at Don’s story, 
but he suspected nothing. 


At Greenwood School 


85 


“ Did the stone hit the Indian girl? ” inquired 
Billy. 

“ Yes, but it didn’t hurt her. It fell in her 
lap, an’ when she picked it up she found it was a 
great big diamond. ’ 9 

“ How would an Indian know anything about 
diamonds? 99 asked Bert Foster. 

4 4 These were civilized Indians,” replied Don. 
44 When the girl an’ her lover got married, it 
was cut up into a lot o’ stones for rings an’ a 
necklace . 9 9 

4 4 But no diamonds are found in this country, ’ ’ 
objected one of the boys. 

4 4 Oh, yes there are , 9 9 said Mr. Flood. 4 4 That ’s 
a fact that few people know. There are no dia- 
mond deposits in the country, so far as is known, 
but it is on record that more than fifty stones 
have been found in the Appalachian mountains 
and near the Great Lakes and in California and 
Oregon. So Collins is scientific in that respect 
at least.” 

44 What became of the bad Indian an’ the 
ghost? ” Don was asked. 

44 The ghost chased him back home an* scared 


86 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


him most to death. He never went near the girl 
an’ her sweetheart again.” 

“ That’s a good story,” said Mr. Flood. 
“ Now, it’s somebody else’s turn. Dunbar, can’t 
you tell us a story? ” 

“ No, I don’t know any,” replied Phil with 
irritation. His voice was so unnatural that sev- 
eral of the boys looked at him in surprise. They 
wondered, too, what made his face so pale even 
in the firelight. 

“ Did that story scare you, Phil? ” asked Billy, 
laughing. Phil appeared not to hear. 

A few more short stories were told and then 
Mr. Flood announced that it was time to go to 
bed. Don and Julian slept near each other that 
night and as they rolled themselves in their light 
blankets, Julian whispered to his friend: 

“ Don, where did you get that ghost story you 
told? ” 

“ Why? ” inquired the latter innocently. 

11 I can’t tell you now, but some day I will. An’ 
you’ll be surprised when I do.” 


CHAPTER IX 

PHIl/s REVENGE 

Next day Don Collins found it necessary to as- 
sume a good deal of innocence to dispel the sus- 
picions of Pliil Dunbar. He had told his ghost 
story in a spirit of mischief and had not really 
wished Phil to suspect the truth. He had no per- 
sonal fear in telling the story of his night’s ad- 
venture when he followed Julian and Phil to the 
distant place in the woods, but he could see no 
advantage in so doing. Moreover, such a pro- 
ceeding doubtless would be contrary to the wishes 
of Julian. 

At breakfast Don found Phil’s eyes resting on 
him in a manner full of meaning. But the gaze 
was returned by Don with such seeming lack of 
understanding that Dunbar soon was wondering 
if his suspicions were not unfounded, and based 
only on a remarkable coincidence. At last he de- 
cided that this must be the case and tried to put 
the matter from his mind. 

But in spite of this conclusion Phil determined 
87 


88 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


to have revenge for the discomfort he had felt. 
Don must suffer. Dunbar had no idea for some 
time how he would bring this about but he kept 
his mind at work and his eyes open. Something 
usually happened when Phil did that. 

Mr. Flood had given the boys instructions to 
keep together as much as possible during their 
field work, asking the patrol leaders not to let 
their commands get scattered. Consequently, the 
work was done principally in groups of eight with 
the instructor within calling distance. Each boy 
had a note book, in which he kept record of his 
most important observations and the questions 



he wished to ask later. 


> Don and Phil of course worked together, being 
in the same patrol. Julian also was with them. 
No very definite outline of things to be seen could 
be mapped on any one day but on this day it was 
planned to make as much of a study of badgers as 
possible. Wisconsin is the “ Badger State ” and 
has many of those remarkable little animals. 

Before they started out from the camp, which 
was left in charge of a negro servant of the school, 
Mr. Flood gave the boys a lecture on the subject 
of badgers. He told them that the name of the 


At Greenwood School 


89 


stout, flat little animal was probably from badge 
because of the white maik like a badge on its 
head, and that it has many distinct peculiarities. 
It is usually found in open places, where it bur- 
rows into the ground, often enlarging the hole of 
a gopher for a home. It lives on birds, snakes, 
gophers, lizards, frogs, insects and the like. 

In order to find some badger holes the Boy 
Scouts walked a mile through the woods until they 
came to open pasture land. Then they followed 
the edge of the forest, the several patrols travel- 
ing at distances from each other in order that 
they might move with greater secrecy. They car- 
ried their lunches in their knapsacks, intending 
not to return to camp until evening. 

At noon Mr. Flood blew a horn, which was the 
signal for all to assemble and eat lunch. After 
this they rested a while and discussed their ex- 
periences of the morning and then continued with 
their play-work. They were now far up the river 
and directed their course back toward the woods. 
It was very warm, an unusually hot day for Sep- 
tember, and the boys talked wistfully about a 
plunge in the water. Mr. Flood said nothing on 
the subject until he reached the cover of the trees 


90 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

again, and then he said to the half dozen scouts 
near him: 

“ Well, boys, if you want to take a swim, here’s 
a good place. But you haven’t your bathing 
suits. ’ ’ 

“ Don’t need any,” replied one. 

“ We’ll use our underclothes,” suggested an- 
other. 

“ All right,” assented tlie instructor; “ do as 
you please. I’ll blow the horn and call the other 
boys.” 

Mr. Flood blew a loud blast and soon a score or 
more of scouts came running toward the spot. 
In a few minutes all were gathered around the 
scout master, who informed them that they might 
go swimming if they wished. 

“ But don’t go in over your heads,” he ad- 
monished. “ I guess I’ll go in first and see how 
deep it is.” 

This he hastened to do, but the boys did not 
wait for the results of his inspection of the river 
before they began to throw oft their own clothes. 
Some of them were even ready for the plunge 
before Mr. Flood. 

Meanwhile, some strange doings were going on 


At Greenwood School 


91 


only a short distance back in the woods. Phil 
Dunbar, unseen by any of his fellow Boy Scouts, 
had stolen away and was soon hidden from view 
among the trees and bushes. All day he had been 
nursing hopes of revenge on Don Collins. He 
could not tell exactly why he wanted particularly 
at that time to “ get back ” at the popular patrol 
leader, for he had given up the suspicion that 
Collins had told his ghost story with knowledge 
of the real window-breaking affair, but the coin- 
cidence was so remarkable that he could not help 
feeling that some one ought to be punished for 
the discomfort he had suffered. 

PhiPs plan of revenge was not well defined but 
such as it was it had suggested itself to him some- 
thing like this: He would go back a little dis- 
tance in the woods, undress there, and when all 
the other boys were in the water he would steal 
back, leave his own clothes near the others and 
sneak off with Don ’s and hide them. This 
seemed practicable because the bank was high 
here, sloping back just enough to make it pos- 
sible for the bathers to scale it. The season had 
been dry and the water was low in the river bed. 
Phil hoped, because of the height of the bank, to 


92 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


be able to carry out bis plan without being seen. 
After hiding Don’s clothes, it was his intention 
to go a little farther upstream and swim down to 
where the other boys were. 

But Phil had not gone far into the woods when 
a spectacle met his gaze that resulted in an im- 
portant change in his plan. Through the bushes 
he saw two pairs of eyes looking at him and the 
forms of two men crouched in a suspicious 
manner. 

If they had showed any hostile intentions, Phil 
would have turned and fled. But he knew that he 
was within calling distance of the bathers, who 
would run to his assistance at a cry for help. 
Moreover, he suspected at once that these two 
men were tramps, and it occurred to him instantly 
that possibly they might be used in the carrying 
out of his design. So he stood his ground : 

“ Hello,” he said. 

“ Hello, kid,” replied one of the men. 

‘ ‘ What you doin ’ there ? ’ 9 
“ What business is it o’ yourn? ” 

“ You’re tramps, ain’t you? ” 

“ Tramps! ” exclaimed the spokesman of the 
two suspicious characters. “ D’you mean to in- 


At Greenwood School 


93 


suit us? We’re gentlemen o’ leisure, I’d have 
you know. We’re travelin’ an’ seein’ the world.” 

Here the men stood upright. The spokesman 
was the taller and heavier, and had a bold, bluff- 
ing leer on his face. The other was a little man, 
with shifting eyes and unintelligent expression. 
Both were dressed in old, soiled clothing. 

“ Whatever you are, you were waitin’ for a 
chance to swipe somethin’ over there,” replied 
Phil, pointing toward the clothing of the bathers. 

“ Don’t insult us, or we’ll put you out o’ busi- 
ness,” warned the larger man. “ We’re too well 
raised to stand for such treatment.” 

“I’m not insultin’ you,” replied Phil. “ I was 
intendin’ to do somethin’ o’ the sort myself.” 

“ You was ! ” 

“ Yes I was. But mebbe you can save me the 
trouble. I wanted to hide away the clothes of one 
of the boys over there ’cause I ain’t got any use 
for him.” 

“ An’ you want us to take ’em an’ hide ’em, 
do you? ” asked the tall man. 

“ I don’t care what you do with ’em, just so the 
owner can’t find ’em. You can keep ’em if you 
want to.” 


94 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


1 ‘ How big is he ? ’ ’ 

* 1 Big as me. ’ ’ 

“ Then his clothes ’d purty near fit my pal 
here. Point ’em out to us an’ we’ll take ’em.” 

“ I’ll take a stick an’ lay it on ’em,” said Phil. 
“I’m goin’ back now, an’ as soon as I get in the 
water, you c’n make a dive for the clothes.” 

‘ 1 All right. ’ ’ 

Phil had now decided that he would undress 
near the bank, so he started back for the place 
where all the bathers had disrobed. On his way 
he picked up a small dead limb and laid it on 
Don’s clothes, which were lying several yards 
from the river. If he had seen the covetous 
glances of the little tramp at the clothes he wore, 
Phil might have been uneasy and would doubtless 
have left them nearer the water. But he did just 
what the tramp wished him to do. He undressed 
under a tree ten yards from the bank and left his 
clothes there. 

After entering the water, Phil paid no attention 
to what was taking place ashore. He did not want 
any suspicion to be directed toward him, so he 
took part in the sport in a lively manner. In 


At Greenwood School 


95 


the midst of a splash-fight with one of the boys, 
he was thrilled by a cry from Don Collins : 

44 Hey! Somebody’s stealin’ our clothes! ” 

Phil pretended not to hear and continued to 
splash, but his opponent called to him to stop. 

44 What’s the matter? ” asked Dunbar. 

4 4 Look there ! ’ ’ 

Everybody was swimming ashore now. Two 
men were making for the woods, each with an 
armful of clothes. Phil pretended to be excited 
at the sight and also hastened toward the shore. 
He scrambled up the bank with threats of venge- 
ance and ran to the spot where he had left his 
apparel. 

It was gone ! 

Phil staggered back. He could hardly believe 
his eyes. He looked all around him. He had 
made no mistake. The clothes were gone. 

4 4 Why, I told them — ’ ’ 

Don, near by, had slipped on his shirt, trousers 
and shoes. He looked in surprise at Dunbar as 
the latter muttered these words. Then Collins 
turned and ran into the woods with several other 
pursuers. As he ran he wondered at Phil’s mut- 
tered and unfinished remark. 


96 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Mr. Flood’s clothes had also been stolen. The 
large tramp evidently had an appreciation of a 
tailor’s fit and selected the only suit that he 
could wear. One of the larger boys offered his 
trousers to the instructor, who put them on and 
ran, a comical looking sight, into the woods. Phil 
was soon left alone. He had no desire to run after 
the others, even for appearance sake, and at- 
tempt to make his way, naked, through whipping 
branches and scratching bushes and brush-littered 
ground unfriendly to bare feet. 

Meanwhile the race through the woods was go- 
ing on with much excitement. Both men had been 
sighted by the leading pursuers, one of whom was 
Don Collins. Julian Hartwick was not far be- 
hind. Mr. Flood proved to be a good sprinter 
and was running close to Don. It was evident 
that they were gaining on the tramps. Presently 
the larger of the two dropped his armload of 
clothes and turned to the right. It seemed that 
he intended to desert his pal after ridding him- 
self of his stolen articles, thereby hoping perhaps 
to be pursued no farther. 

Don was a hardy young fellow, made tough and 
sinewy by much exercise and outdoor sport, and 


At Greenwood School 


97 


it is hardly to be wondered that he outdistanced 
Mr. Flood in the race. The latter had given up 
his earlier athletic ambition and had become a 
man of studious habits. Don was twenty yards 
ahead of the instructor when the little tramp 
ahead looked around, and seeing that he was 
about to be overtaken, dropped Phil Dunbar’s 
clothes. 

Collins had no desire for a physical combat 
with the thief, so he stopped when he came to 
the clothes and picked them up. Mr. Flood also 
stopped. Some of the other boys, coming up soon 
afterward, wished to continue the pursuit and 
punish the tramps, but Mr. Flood forbade. 

“ We’ve got our clothes back and had an excit- 
ing adventure; you ought to he satisfied with 
that,” said the instructor. 

Then the troup of half-clothed Boy Scouts went 
hack to the river, and Don returned Phil’s clothes 
to him. 

“ They made a mistake an’ took the wrong pile, 
didn’t they? ” he observed. 

Phil glanced dangerously at Collins, who looked 
back innocently at his boy enemy. 

Don wondered a little at the angry look and 


98 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

Phil wondered a good deal at Collins ’ innocence. 

“ What do you mean by that? 11 demanded 
Dunbar. 

“ Nothing/ ’ replied Don, and he spoke the 
truth. It would have been hard for him to tell 
what he meant. Some time afterward when the 
truth came out, he remembered what he had said 
on this occasion and was much amused. 

Everybody now took another plunge in the 
river to remove the effect of their race through 
the woods, and then they returned to camp. 


CHAPTER X 


EIYEK PIKATES 

4 4 Are we safe? ” 

44 Yes, I think so.” 

“ No sign of life in camp? ” 

“ Not a sign.” 

“ Shall I start the engine? ” 

“ Yes, go ahead. We’re a hundred and fifty 
yards away and the noise won’t be heard.” 

This conversation took place late at night on the 
Minnehaha, the little steamer belonging to Green- 
wood Academy. Four Boy Scouts, Phil Dunbar, 
Stacey Williams, Dick Harding and Tony East- 
man, had stolen the boat and were floating down 
stream, Stacey at the wheel. Dick Harding, just 
up from the engine room, had opened the con- 
versation with Phil Dunbar. He had taken upon 
himself the task of running the engine, as he knew 
more about such work than any of the others. His 
father was the owner of a steam launch at Buf- 
falo and the boy had learned the operation of such 
craft on the lake. 


99 


100 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Phil and his followers had plotted this escapade 
on the preceding day. At first they had been 
somewhat amused with the program of the Boy 
Scouts but when Mr. Flood, on the second day, 
forbade the pupils to wantonly kill bird, beast or 
reptile, these four-of-a-kind plotted to do some 
scouting of a less peaceful nature. 

Phil Dunbar was noted at the school for deeds 
of cruelty. A few days before, he had caught a 
snake and a rabbit and had tied the tail of the 
snake to one of the forefeet of bunny and had set 
them free. Mr. Flood surprised Phil and Tony 
Eastman watching the struggling and frightened 
serpent and hare, and became incensed over the 
scene. At the next meal time he gave all the boys 
a lecture on the subject of cruelty to animals. 
He did not mention the name of the culprit or his 
companion, but both Phil and Tony took it that 
the shoes fitted their own feet. 

Soon afterward these two much abused young 
rascals sounded Stacey and Dick on the subject 
of revenge. These boys were interested at once. 
Although they were not so cruelly inclined and not 
especially enthusiastic over the snake-rabbit per- 
formance, they were ready to resent any rule laid 
down by Mr. Flood. 


At Greenwood School 


101 


Incident to this suggestion of revenge, Phil’s 
plotting mind conceived a scheme that was doubly 
enticing. This was that the four boys seize the 
steamer in which they had come down the river 
from the academy, and make a trip to where the 
other members of the Happy Hide-out Club were 
working on the cave that had been planned a few 
days before. Thus they would be putting one over 
on Mr. Flood and at the same time providing 
themselves with an adventurous means of making 
a trip to a place that held a strong interest for 
them. 

“ How’d you get the boat away without bein’ 
discovered? ” asked Tony at once. 

“ We’d have to wait till the camp’s asleep. 
Then we’d get aboard the steamer and start the 
fire,” replied Phil. “ Then we’d cast off and 
float down stream a couple o’ hundred yards be- 
fore we set the engine goin’. We’d start the 
propeller and steer back up stream on the other 
side where the engine would n ’t wake up anybody 
in the camp. Cornin’ back before daylight o’ 
course, we’d slip into the moorin’ place with just 
enough steam to steer. It ’ll be a great lark with 
little risk. Anyway, they can’t hang us or put 
us in the pen if we’re caught.” 


102 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

u When do you want to go? ” asked Stacey. 

“ To-night.” 
i i What time ? ’ ’ 

u Soon’s ever ’body’s got his eyes shut.” 

“ How many you want to take along? ” 

“ Just us four. Ain’t anybody else here safe.” 
i ‘ How about Billy ? He ’s all right. ’ ’ 

“ I don’t know whether he is, Stace,” replied 
Phil in an impressive but conciliatory manner. 
“ I like to favor Beck when I can but I’m kind 
o’ afraid o’ him of late. I saw him do something 
funny yesterday. I caught him monkeyin’ with 
the hats in a sly way at suppertime. And after 
supper I saw Smarty Collins and Wise-head Hart- 
wick fish some pieces o’ paper out o’ their hats. 
Some writin’ was on them, too, and I’ve got a 
sneakin’ notion your cousin tipped off somethin’ 
to ’em. It looked as if he was doin’ somethin’ he 
wanted kept secret, too.” 

“ That gets me,” exclaimed Stacey as Phil fin- 
ished. “I’ll try to find out what he was up to 
and I’ll bet you’re mistaken. Mebbe he’s tryin’ 
to play a joke.” 

‘ 6 All right, ’ ’ said Phil. 1 1 But you let me know 


At Greenwood School 


• 103 


what you find out. If lie wasn’t up to any funny 
business, we’ll take him back among us.” 

“ Anyway, we’ll be some sleepy-heads to- 
morrow,” announced Dick Harding, reverting to 
the escapade planned for that night. 

“ Oh, if we’re sleepy to-morrow, we can duck 
off from the rest of the bunch and snooze a few 
hours somewhere in the bushes,” suggested Phil. 

And so the four Boy Scouts took possession of 
the boat after the rest of the scouts were asleep. 
A fire was started under the boiler, and as soon 
as sufficient steam was on, the cable was cast off 
and the little vessel swung down with the current. 
Not an eye from the camp followed their actions, 
for all had been long asleep. Julian Hartwick, 
however, had departed earlier in the evening, 
trusting that his absence would not be noticed. 
He did this in order that he might have a part in 
an event that was to have an important bearing 
on the night’s experiences and other thrilling ad- 
ventures soon to follow. 

Phil Dunbar had not observed the absence of 
Julian, so engrossed was he in his own plans for 
the night. If his attention had been called to the 
fact that the mysterious boy was not among the 


104 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

rest of the scouts at bedtime, he doubtless would 
have halted proceedings for a while, waiting for 
him to return. He certainly would not have ex- 
pected Wise-head to set out on another journey 
like that of two nights before until all in camp 
were in slumber. 

When the Minnehaha started on its trip up 
stream in the possession of the four boys, Julian 
was inside the mysterious building in the woods, 
where some very strange proceedings were going 
on. Here there were five men and one woman, 
wife of one of the men, besides the boy from 
Greenwood. All were in a state of eager excite- 
ment. Every person present was in active prep- 
aration for a most noteworthy event. After all 
the preliminaries were completed, a large sliding 
door at one end of the building was pushed open. 

At this moment the Happy Hide-out river 
pirates who had stolen the Greenwood Academy 
steamboat were moving up stream past the camp, 
below which it had drifted. The four boys in it 
were engaged in the conversation recorded in part 
at the opening of this chapter. 

“ Well, this sure is a lark,” commented Tony 
enthusiastically. “ Phil you’ve got a head on you 


At Greenwood School 


105 


like a tack. We owe you a lot for this peach of 
a time.” 

4 4 Then see you pay up, Bone/’ replied Phil 
with a grimace at his own humor. Tony was fre- 
quently styled “ Bonehead ” or “ Bone 99 or other 
similar names by these companions of his who as- 
sumed to be smarter than he was. Perhaps 
“ Bone ” was a little slow, but, all things con- 
sidered, he was no fool. 

“ Now if we don’t run aground or onto a snag, 
we’ll be all right,” continued Tony apprehen- 
sively. Phil interrupted him with : 

4 4 There you are, Ivory Top. You’re as bad 
as Bad-egg Beckman. Billy could never keep on 
the right side o’ himself, and your head seems to 
work like a left-handed monkey wrench. Brace 
up and be a real tar, for we’re pirates now. 
You’ll need your nerve, too, if anything should 
happen. Keep your nerve in good condition all 
the time, anyway.” 

6 ‘ I wonder what Porkie would say if he saw us 
now,” said Dick Harding, who came up from the 
engine room at this moment. This was a 
foolish thing for him to do, as he should have 
stuck to his post where he could act in case of 


106 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

emergency. “ I’ll bet he’d lose that new sweet 
temper o’ his in short order,” he added. “ It’d 
make him madder than that beaut of a picture 
you drew on the blackboard, Dunnie.” “ Dun- 
nie ” was a nickname sometimes applied to Phil. 

“ I didn’t draw it,” protested the latter. 
1 1 Goody-goody Collins drew it. ’ ’ 

‘ < Prexy thinks you drew it, anyway, ’ ’ went on 
Dick. “ And to tell the truth, I don’t believe Don 
did it, either. Not that he’s too good for such 
a thing, but he couldn’t draw a picture like that 
to save his right eye. It takes an artist like you, 
Phil-up.” 

“ Oh, I could have done it all right,” boasted 
Phil with a self-appreciative toss of his head, 
4 4 and I ain’t claimin’ I’m too good for such a 
thing. But I didn’t an’ I’m dead sure Smart 
Aleck Collie-dog did it. If he didn’t he put 
some one up to the job. Nobody can convince 
me I’m wrong. Why Porkie had the same bee 
in his bonnet when he made Collins rub the pic- 
ture out. It’s easy enough to see that.” 

The moon had not yet risen but the sky was 
clear and the stars shone brightly in the dark- 
ness. The river was wide and deep and winding, 


At Greenwood School 


107 


and picturesquely bordered with rocky bluffs and 
heavy growths of trees. The boat advanced 
rapidly up stream, for the boys wished to make 
quick progress in order that they might spend 
as much time as possible at the cave. 

Suddenly Stacey gave an exclamation of as- 
tonishment that caught the attention of Phil and 
Tony who were near him at the wheel. He had 
caught sight of something that excited his inter- 
est intensely. The other two boys followed his 
gaze — not along the river ahead or behind, nor 
to the right or left. He was looking upward at 
an angle of about forty-five degrees. The first 
thought of all was that it was a meteor. But this 
mistake was instantly corrected. What they 
saw was a very bright light several hundred feet 
in the air, sweeping around like a flashlight on 
a man-of-war. Suddenly it was directed toward 
the river and then settled on the Minnehaha, 
flooding her deck with light. 

The commotion on the boat that followed the 
appearance of this remarkable light in the air 
brought Hick Harding to the deck. The question 
on his lips, however, remained unspoken. His 
eyes served him just as well as the optics of the 


108 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


other boys had served them. At this moment all 
of the boys were thrown to the deck by a violent 
jar that shook the little vessel from stem to 
stern. Surprise and astonishment disappeared in 
a panic of dismay. 


CHAPTER XI 


THE AIRSHIP SPEAKS 

The first thought of the four boy river pirates, 
as they felt the boat shake violently, was that they 
were aground. In the excitement caused by the 
strange searchlight in the air, Stacey had neg- 
lected the wheel, although he did not take his 
hands wholly from it. As the boys gazed upward 
in amazement, they did not notice where they 
were going. The vessel swerved to the right and 
then the prow bumped against a large tree that 
had fallen into the water and lay partly sub- 
merged. 

Consternation prevailed. For the moment the 
strange light in the air was forgotten. What 
made the situation worse was the fact that the 
boat did not bound backward after striking, a 
circumstance that made it appear that she was 
stuck fast, probably on a shoal. Another fear 
was that the severe shock had staved in or 
severely damaged the bow of the stolen craft. 

All four scouts rushed forward as soon as they 
109 


110 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

recovered sufficiently for rational action. As they 
did so, Tony Eastman cried: 

“ Now will you call me Ivory Top again? 
Mebbe you’ll not be in such a hurry to say I’m 
silly. I told you somethin’ might happen.” 

His words were addressed to the leader of the 
shady expedition. If the situation had not de- 
manded Phil’s attention elsewhere he doubtless 
w r ould have made some sort of attack on his pro- 
voking pal. As it was, he only answered: 

“ You guinea, you. How could anyone think 
an airship was goin’ to show up an’ rattle us from 
steering right? This thing wouldn’t have hap- 
pened once in a thousand years. ’ ’ 

“ An airship! ” exclaimed Tony. “ You don’t 
mean to say that was an airship? ” 

“ There you are again, greeny. What’d you 
think it was? A submarine boat carryin’ a car- 
load of smearcase to the moon? ” 

This held Tony for a while, and the inspection 
into the extent of their mishap was continued. 
Dick Harding brought a lantern from the cabin. 
This was swung over the prow to the water’s 
edge by means of a rope. But no information of 
value was obtained. Not a sign of the cause of 


At Greenwood School 


111 


the bump of the boat could be discerned. While 
Phil and Tony were fighting out their little bat- 
tle of words, Dick rushed below and stopped the 
engine so that it could not drive the little vessel 
into further trouble. 

The examination of the how of the boat with 
the aid of the lantern did not even make clear 
whether that part of the craft had sustained in- 
jury. This question being the most important, 
Phil handed the lantern to Dick and said. 

“ Here, Hardie, take this and go down in the 
hold and see if any water is coming in. I’ll try 
to find what we ’re on. ’ ’ 

Dick obeyed the order and Phil found a tent 
pole of sufficient length to use as a feeler. But 
he found nothing that either raised his hopes or 
increased his fears* He was in a state of mind 
to hear any kind of news from Dick on the lat- 
ter’s return from the hold. 

Dick’s report, however, was cheering. He had 
been unable to discover a sign of a leak. 

“ Good,” exclaimed Stacey in a tone of relief. 
Then Dick continued. 

“ Let’s see if we can’t work the boat off of 
whatever it is on. We’ll get a couple more tent 


112 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

poles and Phil and Tony and I’ll push on the 
log while Dick reverses the engine. There’s no 
tellin’ what we may be able to do.” 

This plan was received with hopeful expres- 
sions from the other boys and was soon put 
into operation. To their great joy the steamer 
backed off without a scrape or a struggle, in- 
dicating that she had really been resting on 
a shoal. She had run upon a shallow place and 
was thus prevented from damaging herself hope- 
lessly by striking the tree that lay across her 
path. Sighs of relief followed this successful 
labor. It was difficult to decide who of the boys 
was happiest, unless it was Tony Eastman, whose 
i i I told you so ’ ’ attitude had made it impossible 
for him to give his entire attention to self-grat- 
ulation. 

“ It didn’t end so bad after all, did it Bone? ” 
said Phil with a chuckle, addressing Tony. 

“ No,” replied the latter, a little crestfallen. 
“ But you needn’t act as if you think I’m sorry 
we got her loose. Why should I want her to 
stick fast? ” 

“ Oh, I didn’t mean you wanted anything of 
the kind. Only, you could crow a little if things 


At Greenwood School 


113 


had come out different. But I’m satisfied and 
I’m willin’ to call you a good fellow just because 
I’m tickled over our escape.” 

The little steamer was now moving rapidly 
up stream again, midway between the banks. 
Their fright over, the hoys began to look again 
for the airship hut not a sign of it was to be 
found. 

“ This certainly has been some adventure to- 
night,” declared f>tacey after a long search of 
the darkened sky. “ And, believe me, it ain’t 
finished yet. I’ll bet there’s more cornin’.” 

“I’m dead sure o’ that,” replied Phil. “ I 
feel it in my bones. That airship sent a hunch 
through me ’at won’t stop hunchin’. My, hut 
did you hear them propellers workin’! ” 

“ Was that noise the propellers? ” asked 
Tony. “ I wondered what it was, hut didn’t 
think it had anything to do with the light.” 

“ Ivory head again ! Of course it was. Didn’t 
you ever see an aeroplane fly and hear the noise 
when it comes close to the ground? It makes 
more noise ’an an automobile. There must 
have been a dozen propellers on the thing that 
flew over us.” 


114 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ Did you get a look at its body? ” broke in 
Stacey. 

“ I didn’t see anything but the light,” said 
Tony. 

“ Well, I did,” exclaimed Phil. “ Bonehead’s 
eyes were dazzled with the glare. Turn a search- 
light on Bone and it’s all off with him. I could 
see the shape of the ship against the stars. It 
looked a lot like a cloud.” 

The steamer continued its course three or four 
miles up the river from the camp with no further 
mishap, and by the time it had reached the vicinity 
of the cave, the boys had almost forgotten the 
aerial meteor. They found a mooring place 
where the bank was about even with the top of 
the cabin and tied up to a tree that stood near 
the water’s edge. Then they scrambled ashore 
and began to make their way toward the spot 
where the Happy Hide-outers were supposed to be 
working. 

It was about two hundred yards from the 
boat’s mooring place to the hidden spot on the 
wooded hill and the four found little difficulty 
in reaching it. The moon had risen and was 
pouring a flood of yellow light over the scene, 


At Greenwood School 


115 


thus assisting the new arrivals in their progress 
through the trees and bushes. 

They reached the hill without seeing or hear- 
ing any signs of the boys supposed to be working 
hard with pick and shovel halfway up the 
slope. But they had not ascended far when they 
heard voices. This hastened their steps and 
pretty soon they joined a party of welcoming 
fellow Hide-outers. 

There were five workers at the place, the 
leader of whom was Percy Little, a lad energetic 
in all things except where he should have been. 
Under his leadership considerable progress 
had been made, for a good-sized hole already ap- 
peared in the side of the hill. 

“ You’ll have to be doin’ somethin’ to brace 
the top,” observed Stacey Williams, greetings 
over. Stacey was gifted with a somewhat level 
head. “ You’ll have a cave-in if you don’t. 
This is all loose dirt. And it’s a good thing, too, 
as it makes the work easy. But my advice is to 
stop digging and to cut some timbers to make 
the cave safe as far as you have gone.” 

“ That’s right, Perce,” added Phil. “ You 
want to look out for anything o’ that sort. We 


116 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


can’t afford to run the risk o’ anybody bein’ 
killed. Better stop diggin’ right away.” 

This recommendation was adopted and the 
two axes that had been brought with the other 
tools were laid to the task of cutting saplings 
to brace the walls and top of the cave. This was 
no small labor, for few of the boys had had 
much experience in carpentry. But they finally 
managed to devise a system of braces that was 
safe and satisfactory. 

The cave thus far, was about twelve feet wide, 
six feet high, and six feet deep. They planned 
to dig inward nine feet further and then to make 
a wall in the front with tree trunks planted up- 
right in palisade fashion, leaving open spaces 
for an entrance and one window. Other small 
openings for ventilation and a chimney were 
also to be provided. 

Necessarily the work of making the ceiling and 
walls safe advanced slowly. In fact, little prog- 
ress had been made when there was an interrup- 
tion of a startling nature. It was hardly sur- 
prising to Phil, but astonishing to Stacey and 
Dick and Tony. It was even more alarming to 
the other division of the Happy Hide-outers. 


At Greenwood School 


117 


The reason for this difference of effects was 
this : 

The mysterious searchlight of the airship that 
had so startled the river pirates earlier in the 
night, was shining again. Glowing like a pow- 
erful buirs-eye, but not casting a long path of 
light because the moon was now illuminating the 
sky, it was passing over the hill. The aeroplane 
could be seen quite plainly now, two hundred 
feet from the ground. It was a sight to mystify 
even in the poor light afforded by the moon, for 
it now had the appearance of a real craft of 
the air. All were instantly certain that it was 
not a dirigible balloon. Yet no one could form 
a clear idea as to its locomotion except by the 
noise of what seemed to be rapidly whirling 
propellers. 

The vessel was almost stationary in the air 
about a hundred yards to the southeast. Of 
course, its possible occupants could not be seen 
at such a distance and in the semi-darkness. 
But it was evident that human hands were di- 
recting the rays of the searchlight for the pur- 
pose of attracting the attention of the cave dig- 
gers. Presently the big black thing moved to- 


118 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


ward the boys and soon hovered directly over 
them. Then an object about the size of one’s 
fist was dropped in their midst, and the strange 
craft moved away. 

Phil Dunbar picked up this object and has- 
tened to a lantern standing near by on the 
ground. The other boys crowded around him 
as he examined the thing, which proved to be 
a wad of paper shaped in the form of a ball and 
held by twine wound around it. But this was 
not the most curious feature. Attached to the 
improvised ball was a piece of paper, folded and 
held fast under more windings of cord. 

Phil removed the paper and unfolded it. 

‘ ‘ A note — there ’s writing on it ! ” 

Then he read to himself, while everybody else 
present held his breath in expectation. Sud- 
denly Phil exclaimed: 

“ Good Gracious, fellows! How in the world 
could he ever get up there! Collie-dog Collins 
is on that airship! ” 


CHAPTER XII 


WHY THE AIRSHIP SPOKE 

It was eleven o’clock the same night and all 
was slumbering silence in the camp of the Boy 
Scouts by the river. The moon had not yet 
risen and the darkness was intense within the 
woods. Suddenly, out from the blackness stole 
the form of a boy who moved as if he was wholly 
familiar with the place. The form advanced in 
an upright posture with no attempt at conceal- 
ment. He trod softly and with the evident pur- 
pose of disturbing no one, hurrying through the 
camp toward the river. As he reached the far- 
ther edge of the clearing occupied by the 
sleepers, he stooped over the motionless form 
of Hon Collins and began gently to shake him. 

But Hon did not awaken easily. He was a 
sleeper who seldom dreamed of ghosts or burg- 
lars or things scary. Consequently his disturber 
found it necessary to persist in the shaking be- 
fore the slumbering scout opened his eyes. 

Fortunately Hon was not easily startled. He 
119 


120 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

did not cry out when he found himself being 
aroused in this mysterious manner. Moreover, 
he listened very calmly to the words that were 
whispered to him by the other boy. 

“ Keep still, Don. This is Jule. Get up and 
follow me. Be as still as you can.” 

Perhaps Don would have demanded an expla- 
nation if it had not been for the fact that he 
knew more about Julian Hartwick than that boy 
suspected. This knowledge was enough to make 
such mysterious proceedings seem natural. 
Don, who long had regarded Julian as the boy 
of mystery, as had every other boy in the Acad- 
emy, was now prepared for some explanation. 
The strange manner in which Julian was acting 
suggested this. 

He followed Julian from the camp to the bank 
of the river, and there, at the suggestion of 
Julian, they halted. 

“ What do you think of that? ” began Julian 
pointing to the river. 

‘ ‘ Why the steamer ’s gone ! ’ ’ exclaimed Don, 
rubbing his eyes as if to get the last of the 
sleep out of them. “ What’s it mean? ” 

“ Stolen,” replied Julian. 


At Greenwood School 


121 


“ Who did it? ” 

“ Phil Dunbar, Dick Harding, Stacey Williams 
and Tony Eastman.” 

“ How d’you know? ” 

“ I saw ’em.” 

“ Yon saw ’em steal the boat? ” 

“ No. But I saw ’em on the boat after it 
was stolen.” 

“ How long ago? ” 

“ Half an hour.” 

“ But the moon wasn’t up. How could you 
see ’em from the bank? ” 

“ I wasn’t on the bank.” 

“ You weren’t? ” went on Don with a puzzled 
look. “ Were you on the steamer? ” 

“ No,” answered Julian, evidently enjoying 
the mystery. 

“ On another boat then, of course.” 

“ No.” 

Don looked at Julian as if he would like to 
inquire into the condition of the latter’s mind. 
Not on the hank, not on the steamer nor on an- 
other boat! Where could he have been? Then 
another question occurred to him. 

“ Mebbe you were up a tree or swimmin’.” 


122 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

u Neither,’ ’ replied Julian chuckling. “ But 
come on down here an’ I’ll give you the expla- 
nation. You’ll understand better than if I take 
an hour to explain.” 

Don followed Julian through the timber along 
the river. Presently they came to another 
clearing. 

“ What in the world’s that? ” exclaimed the 
astonished Don as they neared a big skeleton- 
like object. Then, for the first time in his life, 
Don found himself within examining distance of 
an airship. And, although he did not know it 
then, he was also confronting a type of airship 
such as no one but the secret workers in the 
woods had ever seen, the helicopter — the glid- 
ing aeroplane that has since attracted so much 
attention. 

The aviation world — and Frenchmen particu- 
larly — have dreamed of a quick-ascending air- 
ship since man-flight began. The first ascent of 
aeroplanes by weights, pulleys and tracks, all 
flying men conceded to be the groping of a be- 
ginner. Then the quick run on wheels over 
smooth ground or grass marked an advance. 
Succeeding this came the fight to shorten the 


At Greenwood School 


123 


run on the ground. To ascend or land an air- 
ship within a few feet was one of the steps 
needed before a flying machine could ever be 
counted among practical inventions. 

This important advance had been made in the 
rude structure in the woods. The men at work 
there had elaborated the lifting propellers of 
the French helicopter and combined them with 
the forward thrust of the ordinary propeller. 
Before these two boys lay a machine, the only 
one of the kind in the world, in which flat, fan- 
like, horizontal wheels (all above the body of 
the airship) had at last been made to elevate the 
car directly from the ground without a run. 
Working with these were other vertical propel- 
lers which at the proper time took up the work 
of the horizontal wheels and shot the car for- 
ward in the air. 

The outlines of the marvelous airship, seen 
but vaguely in the night, indicated a vehicle 
about fifty feet wide and ninety feet long, re- 
sembling, in general, the body and wings of a 
“ snake feeder.” The wings or planes were six 
in number, three attached to each side, one be- 
hind the other and made fast separately, each 


124 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

succeeding plane a little lower tlian the one in 
front. 

The section to which the planes were attached 
was oval in shape, about eight feet in height, 
the same in width and perhaps thirty feet long, 
ending in the rear in a truss framework that 
extended sixty feet farther, ending in two sail- 
like, canvas horizontal and vertical rudders. 
To the front of the oval form or car was at- 
tached a twelve-foot vertical propeller, and in 
the two feet of the rounded front left exposed 
above the arms, glinted the glass of two circu- 
lar lookout windows. 

A framework of a new alloy of steel, a new 
metal not even named as yet, as Don learned 
later, extended right and left from the shaft of 
the main vertical propeller. At the ends of this 
frame were set smaller propellers connected 
with the main propeller shaft by chain drives. 
These two propellers were in line with the front 
planes. 

About twenty feet from the rear end of the 
oval body of the curious contrivance — public 
knowledge of which was soon to set the aviation 
world agog — another horizontal plane extended 


At Greenwood School 125 

from each side of the truss frame a distance of 
about fifteen feet on each side. As is now known 
by all in touch with the newest in aeroplane im- 
provements, the six main body planes or wings 
were adjustable and could be carried horizon- 
tally or turned vertically. 

“ What ’re the umbrellas? ” whispered Don 
to Julian. 

“ They’ve got a French name I can’t remem- 
ber,” answered Julian. “ All I can tell you is 
they’re the lifters. That’s why she can shoot 
straight up among all these trees and drop down 
again without runnin’ from here to Guinea.” 

These were the helicopter horizontal fans, six 
in number and extending in a line from the front 
of the body part way out on the truss. Under 
these air-sucking fans ran a little deck enclosed 
by a light, high network railing which gave this 
part of the structure the appearance of a 
steamer’s bridge. Within was a pilot room or 
cabin. Behind this came the engine room, prac- 
tically the same compartment and, aft of this, 
a small room — a section apparently meant for 
a store or sleeping room. 

“ It’s steel,” went on Don as his composure 
began to return to him. 


126 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ Nope,” answered Julian, “ but it’s a steel 
alloy; it’s metal anyway. 

The dark, rounded sides stood out like the 
frame of a yacht. In the side nearest Don and 
J ulian was a window. But the shade was drawn, 
so that although tiny rays of light stole out 
here and there, giving evidence that the interior 
was well lighted, the boys could not look within. 

“ Can’t you make out what it is? ” inquired 
Julian with a smile. 

“ It must be an airship,” exclaimed the as- 
tonished Don, his voice marked with incredulity. 

“ And that’s what it is. Come in and see 
how you like it.” 

Julian led the way up half a dozen steps and 
through the easily opened door. As Don laid 
his hand on the handrail of the steps, he felt a 
strange thrill. 

“ I wonder if I’m about to meet some new 
Captain Nemo,” thought the boy as he ascended 
with the sensation of one about to enter into a 
place of enchantment. 

Don was conducted first into the cabin. It 
had a table fastened to the floor, several chairs 
and other minor articles of furniture and con- 


At Greenwood School 


127 


venience. By the table was seated a young man 
and a young woman, neither of them more than 
thirty years old. Both arose to greet the two 
boys. 

“ Don,” began Julian. “ I want to introduce 
you to my brother and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. 
Harry Hartwick. Harry and Nora, this is my 
friend Don Collins.” 

Mr. and Mrs. Hartwick welcomed Don cor- 
dially. Then came the revelation and the knowl- 
edge of Julian’s mystery. The latter informed 
his friend that his brother was the designer and 
builder of the craft, and began some account of 
the invention and its features and improvements. 
In the engine room Don met the engineer and 
another man who had helped with the mechan- 
ical construction of the vessel. 

Almost the entire structural material of the 
ship was metal. The engine was run by gaso- 
line, and connected with it was a motor that 
generated the current for lighting the boat. 

“ Where was it built? ” inquired the almost 
stupified Don after they had returned to the 
cabin. 


128 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ Not very far from here,” replied Julian 
with a grin. 

“ In a barn-like building in the timber about 
two miles away? ” asked Don significantly. 

“ How’d you know that? ” exclaimed Julian, 
whose turn it now was to be astonished. 

“ Oh, you’re not the only wise fellow at 
Greenwood,” Don laughed. “ You mustn’t think 
you could keep your night journeys through 
the timber secret. I’ve had you under sus- 
picion for some time. There are people, let 
me tell you, who always have their eyes open. 
Perhaps you haven’t forgotten the stone that 
flew through the window — ’ ’ 

“ Don Collins!” cried Julian. i 1 What do 
you know about that? ” 

Mr. and Mrs. Hartwick were listening with 
much interest. When Don made mention of the 
window breaking episode, they both appeared 
astonished. 

“ Well, I threw the stone,” confessed Don. 

“ You did? ” 

The chorus in which these two words were 
uttered was perfect. 


At Greenwood School 


129 


“ Yes, I did,” replied Don. “ But it was to 
help you, Jule.” 

“ To help me!” cried the latter. “ How? 
You almost hit me on the head.” 

“Pm sorry about that and I’m glad that I 
missed you. The fact is, I hadn’t any intention 
of throwing the stone through the glass at all. 
I only wanted to scare a fellow who was watch- 
ing you through the window.” 

“ Who was it? ” 

“ Phil Dunbar.” 

Don now began at the beginning and recited 
the experiences of that night. A more surprised 
trio than his audience could hardly be imagined. 
They plied him with questions and when all had 
been answered they could only thank him for 
what he had done. 

Soon after the conclusion of this talk Don felt 
the airship tremble, while a series of muffled 
explosions sounded on the air. Then he noticed 
that Julian’s brother was not in the cabin. 

“ Are we flying? ” inquired Don as he thought 
he felt the ship rise. 

“ That’s what we’re doing,” chuckled Ju- 


130 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

lian. “ Here, look out and see. The moon’s 
rising now and it’s light out.” 

He lifted the shade of the window as he spoke 
and Hon peered out. It looked to him as if 
the earth was dropping swiftly away from them. 
They were already several hundred feet in the 
air. Presently the upward motion ceased and 
the vessel instantly shot forward like an arrow. 

“ Where are we goin’? ” asked Hon appre- 
hensively. 

“ After the river pirates,” replied Julian. 

“ The river pirates? ” 

“Yes — Phil Hunhar and his crowd. They 
stole the steamer, you know. Now I’ll tell 
where I was when I saw them on the steamer. 
But you can guess, I reckon.” 

“ Yes,” answered Hon. “ But how could you 
have seen them even from the airship, before the 
moon rose? ” 

“We used the searchlight. We gave ’em one 
fright and now we’re going to give ’em another. 
Get your wits together and help us give ’em a 
good scare.” 

“ But where are they? ” 

“ Somewhere up the river. We must find ’em.” 


At Greenwood School 


131 


The airship followed the stream upward and 
all eyes were kept on the lookout for the Minne- 
haha. After a long search the steamer was lo- 
cated at the place where she had been moored by 
Phil and his three pirate followers. 

“ She seems to be deserted,” reported Don. 
“ I wonder where the scamps are.” 

The sound of chopping on the hill where the 
work of bracing the hide-out was being prose- 
cuted, answered this question. In a short time 
the “ Nora,” as the airship had been called for 
the wife of the inventor and builder, was di- 
rectly over the rebels and settling toward them. 

Meanwhile Don’s wits had not been idle. 
Finding a newspaper in the cabin, he wadded 
part of it into a ball and wound about it suffi- 
cient string to hold it in shape. Then upon a 
piece of paper he wrote these words of warning. 

“ Look out, Phil-up Dunbar. The mysterious 
boy you followed through the woods is after you 
on wings. So is the fellow who threw the stone 
through the window. Quit this rebel business. 
Go back to Prexie Porky and confess. Maybe 
he will forgive you. If you don’t, look out for 
something from the sky. 


“ D. C.” 


132 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ There, I think that’ll give him his fill up 
of scare,” said Don to Julian as he fastened the 
note to the ball. Then he dropped it into the 
midst of the cave diggers below. 


CHAPTER XIII 

EXPLAIN OR FIGHT 

Phil stood holding in his hand the message 
he had received from the sky. A gasp of amaze- 
ment followed his declaration that Don Collins 
was in the airship. 

“ Yes, and Hungry Hartwick is up there, 
too.” 

Julian was not a hungry looking boy. There 
was nothing poverty-stricken in his appearance 
except his clothes. He ate at the same table 
with boys who had more spending money than 
common sense. But his clothes were of second- 
rate or even third-rate quality, a fact that caused 
Phil Dunbar to associate with this boy a hun- 
gry aspect. 

“ Phil, are you crazy? ” Hard-headed, un- 
imaginative Dick Harding threw this question 
at the leader of the Happy Hide-outers. 

“ No, Hardie, I ’m not crazy,” exclaimed Phil. 
“ Pm just as sane as you ever were. Collie- 
dog and Hungry are on board that airship.” 

133 


134 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ But we left ’em in camp.” 

“ Did we? How do you know? Did you see 
’em as we came away? ” 

“ No, I didn’t,” admitted Dick. 

“ Mebbe they weren’t there at all,” suggested 
Phil. “ Mebbe they left early in the evening. 
How about it, Stace and Tony? Did either o’ 
you see Smarty or Hungry just before we left 
camp? ” 

4 4 I saw Collie-dog,” answered Stacey. “ I 
passed close to him when we left. He was asleep, 
I’m sure.” 

Phil’s confidence was somewhat shaken by this 
statement. 

“ Well,” he faltered; “ what do you think o’ 
this then? ” 

Several of the boys had impatiently urged 
Phil to reveal the contents of the note while 
he was engaged in this conversation, but he 
stood them off. Now, however, he read aloud 
the missive from the sky. 

a There,” he concluded with renewed convic- 
tion, “ I know Hungry is on that airship, for 
he’s the fellow I followed through the w r oods 
night before last. I’m almost as certain 


At Greenwood School 


135 


Smarty’s there, too, for here are his initials, 
4 D. C.’ ” 

44 Yes, but 4 D. C.’ stands for Dennis Calla- 
han or any other name in or outside the dic- 
tionary,’ ’ laughed Dick. 

44 Is there anybody else in camp whose initials 
are 4 D. C.’f ” insisted Phil. 

Nobody present was able to recall a boy 
among all the Boy Scout campers with these 
initials. Phil went on: 

44 Then I say that 4 D. C.’ or Don Collins, is 
on the airship. He said he followed me while 
I was chasin’ Wise-head through the woods. It 
couldn’t be anyone else, since it must have been 
some one from the camp.” 

The logic of Phil’s argument seemed unan- 
swerable. Anyway, nobody offered another ex- 
planation, although most of the boys were in- 
clined to shake their heads over the mysterious 
affair. Phil was asked for a more detailed ac- 
count of his experiences two nights before when 
he followed Julian to the hidden place in the 
woods. This he gave, to the entertainment and 
wonder of all present. 

In spite of his many faults, Phil was a cour- 


136 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


ageous fellow. When he said that he was not 
afraid of 44 Smarty ” Collins he meant it, as he 
cordially hated Don. He longed for the time 
when he might put his and 4 4 Smarty ’s ” phys- 
ical strength to a test. He confidently believed 
that he would be able to prove his own su- 
periority. 

Therefore, when some of the boys desired to 
know what Phil proposed to do in reply to the 
warning from the sky, he replied: 

44 Just what I’ve planned from the first, if 
you fellows will stick by me. If Collie-dog tries 
any funny business, he ’ll have to settle with me. ’ ’ 

44 But suppose Collie or Church-mouse Hart- 
wick peaches to Prexy — what then? ” asked 
Stacey. 44 Puncliin’ them wonT help matters.” 

44 Well, if either of ’em peaches,” exclaimed 
Phil, 44 I’ll have my revenge for that. In the 
meantime, I’m goin’ to answer the note that 
Smarty dropped from the airship. I’m goin’ 
to make him show his hand. I’m goin’ to have 
somethin’ to say about a fellow who’s afraid 
to sign his name to anything written by himself.” 

44 You didn’t sign your name to that picture 
on the blackboard,” suggested Tony Eastman 
boldly. 


At Greenwood School 


137 


“ No, because I didn’t draw it. And this 
note from Smarty in the sky is another proof 
to me that he drew it. He’s afraid to put his 
name to anything. When he gets married he’ll 
want his wife to take his initials and be satisfied 
with ’em.” 

This sally from Phil on the subject of matri- 
mony produced general laughter. But no one 
attempted to add to the witticism. 

By this time the airship had disappeared in 
the southeast. The boys now took up their 
work again and continued it until half past two 
o’clock, when it was decided to return to the 
camp. 

Phil and his three boat companions went back 
to the river, got up steam quickly and were soon 
cutting through the water down stream. As 
they neared the camp the power was shut off, 
thus reducing the noise made by the little ves- 
sel, and it ran quietly into the mooring place. 

After tying the boat fast to a tree on the bank, 
the boys went ashore and stole back to their 
open-air bunks. As they moved among the 
sleepers, they made a search for Don and Julian 
and were rewarded by finding both boys ap- 


138 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

parently fast asleep. There was nothing to in- 
dicate that they had been absent in the course 
of the night. 

Phil was somewhat taken aback by this dis- 
covery but the evidence of the note dropped 
from the airship could not be disregarded. lie 
merely shook his head in a puzzled manner. 
Nevertheless, he did not abandon his earlier 
determination to issue some sort of challenge 
to Hon because of the note the much-hated boy 
had written. Pretty soon, however, Phil and 
his companions were fast asleep. 

The Nora wandered about very little after 
leaving the working place of the rebel Boy 
Scouts. She was soon headed directly for the 
camp where Hon and Julian should have been 
soundly sleeping. On the way Julian explained . 
to Hon that this was the second trip the airship 
had made. In fact it had been completed the 
very night when Hon drove Phil Hunbar away 
from the shop by sending a stone through the 
window. 

u We made a short trip about two o’clock in 
the morning after we were sure that the per- 
son who disturbed us had gone away,” explained 
Julian. 


At Greenwood School 


139 


All of the night wanderers slept soundly un- 
til sunup, for Mr. Flood was not disposed to en- 
force strictly the “ early to bed and early to 
rise ” adage. He assumed that all were tired 
after their activities of the day before and de- 
cided to let them have all the rest they wanted. 
This day was the last of the outing for the four 
patrols and in the afternoon all boarded the 
steamer and returned to Greenwood. Mean- 
while Don watched Phil on the sly with feelings 
of some amusement, and Phil kept an eye on 
Don with feelings quite the opposite. 

Phil would have liked to say something to 
“ Smarty ” on the subject of the note dropped 
from the airship but he found no opportunity 
before the return to the academy. In fact Don 
avoided such a conversation, since his reason 
for writing the message was principally humor- 
ous. He had in mind no plan of interfering with 
the doings of the young rebels, for he really re- 
garded their activities as none of his business. 
Indeed, if the president of the school had ques- 
tioned him closely on the subject, Don probably 
would have answered evasively as long as pos- 
sible. If driven into a corner, it is likely he 


140 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

would have refused to make reply. Such was 
his boy sense of honor. 

But Phil was not to be balked permanently in 
his purpose. He continued to watch for an op- 
portunity and that evening after supper, as 
Don was crossing the campus on his way from 
the dining hall to the library, Phil followed 
“ Smarty Collie ” and accosted him in a dark 
place. 

“ Hold on there, Big Head, I want to talk to 
you,” he began. 

4 4 All right, Phil-up,” replied Don good-nat- 
uredly. “ But I’m surprised at this unexpected 
honor.’ ’ 

“ No taffy to-night, Mr. Bum Wit. I mean 
business.” 

“ So do I — always. What’s your business 
with me? ” 

Don’s manner was cool and he showed no 
signs of fear, but this did not trouble Dunbar. 
He knew Don was a strong boy hut was confident 
of his ability to thrash him, in spite of the re- 
markable stories told by the latter’s admiring 
friends. Both hoys were about the same age 
and size and well built. 


At Greenwood School 


141 


“ This is my business with you,” went on 
Phil. “ I want to know if you’re such a coward 
that you’re afraid to sign your name to the 
note you wrote to me? ” 

4 4 Not at all, Phil-up. Who filled you up on 
such dope? When did I write a note to you? ” 
“ You’re a liar,” was the only answer. 

“ Oh, my, Phil, don’t get excited. How can 
you call me a liar when I haven’t even denied 
writin’ a note? ” 

“ You’re a liar,” persisted Phil. 

“ Come, come, Phil-up. Are you off your 

nut? ” 

u No I ain’t. I say you’re a liar. I mean 

it. You’re actin’ a lie and that’s just the same. 

You’re pretendin’ that you didn’t write the 
note. That’s lyin’ if I knew anythin’ about it.” 
4 4 Didn’t you ever tell a lie? ” 

“ That’s none o’ your business. What I 

want to know is what you meant by that threat 
you made in your note. You told me to look out 
for somethin’ from the sky.” 

“ I meant the day of judgment.” 

“ You’re a liar again. Now, you’ve got to 
explain that threat or fight. Mebbe you’ll have 
to fight anyway.” 


CHAPTER XIV 


THE EIGHT AND THE ACCUSATION 

“ All right, Mr. Dunbar. If I have to fight 
I s’pose I have to. But you’ll have to strike 
the first blow and make it hurt too. And not 
only that, you’ll have to make me believe you’re 
goin’ to give me more. You can hit me once, 
pretty hard. Even then I won’t fight ’less it 
hurts me too much. So go ahead and hit any- 
where, except in the face. You can’t hit me 
there.” 

Phil was too much enraged to regard with 
wonder this remarkable speech of Don’s. It 
should have served as warning. Doubtless it 
would thus have served a cooler-headed boy. 
But instead of taking heed, Phil struck out with 
his right fist, using all the steam at his com- 
mand. He aimed his blow for Don’s nose. 

He almost fell over. Don told the truth when 
he said Phil could not hit him in the face. The 
blow unexpectedly meeting no resistance, its 
force carried the would-be exponent of a knock- 
142 


At Greenwood School 


143 


out several feet forward before he could catch 
himself. When Phil recovered his balance he 
found 44 Collie ” watching him gravely. 

44 You’d better take my advice,” said Don. 
4 4 If you hadn’t tried to hit me in the face — ” 

44 You’re a coward! 99 interrupted Phil scorn- 
fully. 

44 No, I’m a peace scout.” 

44 You’re a fool.” 

44 Your opinion don’t bother me much.” 

44 You’re an idiot.” 

44 Then you’re a fool for givin’ me so much 
time if I ain’t responsible for what I say or do.” 

44 You’ve got sense enough to know you’re a 
fool.” 

44 Mebbe, but that’s more than I can say for 
you, Phil.” 

44 Don’t call me Phil.” 

44 What’ll I call you? Phil-up? You seem to 
be full-up o’ somethin’.” 

44 Do you mean I’m drunk? ” 

44 Don’t take me too seriously, Phil — I mean 
Phil-up.” 

44 No, you are right there. You’re a fool. 
You ain’t responsible. I want to know what you 


144 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

meant by the note you dropped from the air- 
ship. * ’ 

“ Wasn’t it plain? ” 

“ Plain enough. But you told me to confess 
to Porkie or look out for somethin’ from the 
sky. What’d you mean by that? ” 

“ Didn’t you ever hear of thunder out of a 
clear sky? I might’ve meant to look for some- 
thin’ not expected, somethin’ that’ll come as a 
great surprise.” 

“ You mean you’re goin’ to peach to Porkie, 
you sneakin’ Smart Aleck. And I’m out here 
right now to give you the worst lickin’ you ever 
had. Then you’ll know enough to keep your 
mouth shut and mind your own business. Take off 
your coat and get ready. I’m not goin’ to wait 
long. ’ ’ 

“ I ain’t goin’ to take my coat off, Pliil-up,” 
replied Don. “ A little thing like that won’t 
bother me. But I’m afraid you’ll be sorry. I 
wish you wouldn’t try.” 

“ Hurry up and get ready,” interrupted Phil 
contemptuously. “ I’m in a hurry to get through 
with the job.” 

“ Why not finish before you begin? ” 


At Greenwood School 145 

“ Are you ready? 99 

“ I’ve been ready ever since you stopped me. 
But I’m afraid you ain’t. Take my advice and 
go into trainin’ before you start anything with 
me, Phil-up — ’ 9 

Don got no further with his advice. Phil 
came at him full tilt, fists clenched, teeth set and 
his whole attitude that of a bull making for a 
horse in a Mexican arena. 

But the “ horse ” in this instance proved 
pretty agile. Don sidestepped quickly and in 
some manner unnoted by his antagonist, his 
right foot became entangled with Battling Dun- 
bar’s legs. Phil went sprawling, his nose plough- 
ing a furrow in the sod. It was a hard fall and 
the unfortunate Phil was momentarily stunned. 
Don stood by and watched him, questioning 
whether he ought to remain for further devel- 
opments. He looked around to see if anybody 
was approaching but detected no sign of an on- 
looker. Before he fully decided what to do, 
Phil was on his feet again and manifesting dan- 
gerous intentions. 

He came at the hated Don with all the ferocity 
of his first onset. The shock of his fall had un- 


146 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


settled him somewhat, rendering him even wilder 
in his movements, and Don found it easier to 
repeat the upsetting operation. This time 
Phil’s head struck the ground in such a manner 
and with such force that he lay still. Don had 
not struck a blow and his enemy lay apparently 
vanquished. It was Phil’s violence that had re- 
acted upon himself and proved his undoing. 
The “ peace scout ” had merely used a little 
skill and virtually turned his foe’s attack upon 
himself. 

At once Don became frightened over the still 
form before him. Had he dangerously injured 
Phil? The seriousness of such a possibility 
caused the cold sweat to come out over his body. 
He leaned over the motionless form. Phil’s 
face, upturned, looked pale even in the dark- 
ness. Don’s fears may have caused him to 
imagine it paler than it really was. He knew 
he could make certain if his defeated enemy were 
alive or dead by feeling of his face and hands. 
* But he could not force himself to make the 
test. The fear that he might find evidence of 
death in his now still foe chilled him through and 
held him powerless. If he could only bring 


At Greenwood School 


147 


back consciousness to the still form. He felt 
he had been too sarcastic in his replies to 
Phihs taunts. He realized he had goaded Phil 
on to the attack. He knew from the first that 
he had nothing to fear from Phil in a fair en- 
counter. Phil should have been convinced of 
this had he known some of Don’s history as an 
athlete. The latter could have toid how in his 
earlier school days he had been the leader in 
every boyish sport; that he had been the best 
wrestler among all his associates, some of them 
two or three years his senior ; he could have told 
how his father, now dead for two years, had 
taken him in hand at an early age and trained 
him so carefully that he gave every promise of 
being a powerful man. 

As for Phil, he had a naturally good physique 
but little physical training. He was a strong 
boy and he could have been trained into a good 
athlete. But thus far his training had been all 
his own and in accord with the caprices of a 
vainglorious and hot headed disposition. Con- 
sequently he could not last long in a set-to with 
Collins. 

Don did not think of all this as he stood 


148 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

over his enemy. He had no time. Presently 
his moral obligation to do all he could for the 
weak and injured caused him to drop on his 
knees and examine the seemingly lifeless body 
before him. He compressed his lips with de- 
termination, resolved to face the worst, and put 
one hand on the still, white face. It was warm. 
He put his hand over Phil’s heart and felt a 
fluttering there. 

The uncertainness of this, however, brought 
back his fears. Was not life departing with a 
struggle? The mere suggestion of this caused 
Hon to lose control of his emotions and to put 
his hands to his face with a groan. 

“ Collins, what does this mean? ” 

It was the voice of President Bacon that in- 
terrupted Don’s lamentation. The terrified boy 
sprang to his feet and faced the condemning 
look of the master of Greenwood. Conscious of 
no wrongful intent, however, he partly recovered 
with an effort and replied: 

“ I’m afraid he’s hurt, sir. Don’t stop to 
punish me. Let’s do somethin’ to save him. 
Please, please do somethin’ before it’s too late.” 

President Bacon gave a few nods of his head 


At Greenwood School 


149 


as if to say, “ Yon never can tell what will hap- 
pen when boys become jealous of each other,” 
and then ordered Don to assist him to remove 
Phil to the president’s home. 

They lifted the limp form and bore it with 
some difficulty along the dark and now lonely 
driveway for about a hundred yards to the home 
of the president. Arrived there, they entered 
and laid their burden upon a couch. Then Presi- 
dent Bacon telephoned for a doctor. Before 
the arrival of the physician, the master and his 
wife worked over the injured boy, but without 
success. 

Dr. Bowen arrived in a short time and ex- 
amined the patient. Meanwhile Don stood by 
watching the proceedings nervously, and eagerly 
hoping that he might be asked to do something. 
Presently the doctor looked up and asked. 

“ How did this happen? ” 

“ I don’t know,” was President Bacon’s re- 
ply. “ I haven’t had time to find out.” Then 
he looked inquiringly at Don. 

“ I’ll tell you,” exclaimed the latter stepping 
forward. “ Phil and I have never been very 
good friends and we had a little mix-up to-night. 


150 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


He — that is, we had a scuffle and I tripped him 
up. In falling, he must have struck his head 
on the ground pretty hard, or a stone mebbe — 
I didn’t examine the place. But, Doctor, tell 
me how he is. Will he get well? ” 

“ Bemarkably hard,” said Dr. Bowen, refer- 
ring to the fall and ignoring Don’s petition. 
“ It hardly seems to me that a fall of that na- 
ture could have produced so serious a result.” 

The doctor continued his examination and 
eventually announced signs of success. Don 
was asked to leave the room, inasmuch as his 
presence might excite Phil on the latter’s return 
to consciousness. He did as requested, going 
out upon the campus, where he lay down upon 
the grass and spent a period of very hard and 
uncomfortable thinking. Finally he went back 
to the president’s house, inquired as to Phil’s 
condition and found that he was resting easily 
and was not considered seriously injured. Then 
he went to the dormitory and to bed, where he 
did not fall asleep until midnight. 

Next morning a surprise was in store for him. 
And it was not an agreeable surprise. President 
Bacon sent for him to appear in the school of- 


At Greenwood School 


151 


fice immediately after breakfast. Don obeyed 
the summons with no little apprehension. What 
could it mean? Had Phil’s condition become 
more serious? Or — fearful thought — had he 
died? The latter solution seemed even more 
probable than the former, for the mere fact of 
the injured boy’s condition becoming more se- 
rious could hardly be a reason for summoning 
the author of the injury into the president’s 
office. His death would be a very good reason 
for such action. 

Don walked slowly to the office of the master 
of Greenwood and knocked at the door with 
quite the opposite of boldness. He was admitted. 
President Bacon was alone. The boy looked 
anxiously into the master’s face for some sign 
of the reason of his summons but, although the 
master’s countenance was stern, no indication of 
what was going on in his mind was to be dis- 
covered. 

“ How — how is Phil?” faltered Don. The 
reply that came proved a great relief, although 
it was followed by another statement of a puz- 
zling nature. 

“ Oh, Dunbar is gettin’ along all right. He’s 


152 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

even able to walk around this morning, I’m glad 
to say. But he has made a most serious charge 
against you, Collins. This, together with your 
nervousness of last evening, makes things look 
bad.” 

‘ ‘ A charge against me ! ’ ’ exclaimed Don. 
“ What charge could he make against me? ” 

“ Just this,” said the master sternly,, and it 
was evident that he believed at least some of 
Phil’s story; “ he says you crept up behind him 
in the dark and struck him on the head with a 
club. Now, Collins, what have you to say? ” 


CHAPTER XV 

THE MYSTEKY OF THE AIKSHIP 

If Don Collins himself had been struck a blow 
on the head with a club, he could hardly have 
been more astonished than he was at the charge 
made by Phil Dunbar. The audacity of the lat- 
ter took the wind out of his sails, as it were. 
For a few moments he stood without speech. 
And his attitude did not help him in the eyes 
of the head official of the school, for the latter 
misunderstood it, interpreting his confusion as 
an indication of guilt. Moreover, Phil had told 
a plausible story, for he was an adept at this 
sort of thing. 

1 1 Come now, Collins, make a full confession. 
Your punishment may not he so hard,” re- 
sumed the president. “ If you lie to me I shall 
have to suspend you. Otherwise, I may he able 
to find some other punishment that will not in- 
terfere with your work here.” 

“ Pm not goin’ to lie to you,” protested Don 
indignantly. “I'm goin’ to tell you the truth. I 
153 


154 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

deny absolutely what Phil says. I was crossin 9 
the campus, goin’ to the library. Phil came up 
and wanted to know what I meant by a note I 
wrote to him as a joke. We had some words 
and he jumped me. I tripped him twice. The 
second time he fell hard, striking his head on 
the ground. He didn’t get up and I was afraid 
I’d killed him.” 

“ But you were in a good deal of distress for 
one who was no more to blame than you- would 
have been under such circumstances,” replied 
the president, eyeing Don keenly. 

“ I 'don’t think so. Nobody wants to hurt 
anyone, even an enemy, even if it is an accident 
or in self-defense.” 

“ Well, I’ve been told two different stories 
regarding this affair. It is evident one or the 
other of you has been misrepresenting things 
grossly. I’ll look into the matter carefully. 
Meanwhile you may continue with your classes 
pending the investigation.” 

Phil’s injuries fortunately proved not to be 
serious. He did not appear in his classes for 
three days, however, and the report was circu- 
lated that he was ill. But he did not choose to 


At Greenwood School 


155 


let this report suffice as an explanation of his 
absence from class. On the second day he told 
Stacey Williams the story that he had told to 
President Bacon regarding the manner in 
which he had received his injury. 

This account of the affair was artfully pre- 
sented. Phil did not directly accuse Don of 
striking him with a club, but he said he was 
crossing the campus when he heard a step be- 
hind him and was about to turn to see who was 
approaching when a heavy blow fell suddenly 
upon his head. This fabrication he followed 
with a true report of the manner in which 
“ Prexy ” had found Collins standing over 
him, frightened at what he had done. 

With many this story had the desired effect. 
Don soon found himself the object of sneering 
remarks and contemptuous treatment from some 
of his fellow students. Others avoided him even 
more significantly, and life at the academy for 
a time was made wretched for him. It was a 
punishment hard to bear for one who could not 
but feel that he was undeserving of serious 
blame. It was true that he felt some remorse at 
first because he had met Phil ’s insulting remarks 


156 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


in a joking manner. But the false accusation 
made against him by the latter killed much of this 
and caused him to speak out boldly for himself. 
This had good results in many instances. 

Don had one friend who stood by him in this 
trying situation. This friend was Julian Hart- 
wick, who understood Phil’s nature well enough 
and did not doubt the story told by Collins. Julian 
did his best to cheer Don, telling him that he 
ought not worry, since the true facts were bound 
to come out in time. 

Don did his best to appear cheerful and not no- 
tice the slights of many whom he had previously 
considered his friends.' Several days passed but 
he heard nothing from the president. Some of 
those who had been doubting him began to show 
a disposition to give him fair play, asking him for 
his side of the story. He tried to avoid discus- 
sing it and his unassuming manner told much in 
his favor. 

‘ ‘ There is no use talking about the matter, ’ ’ he 
told some of the boys. 4 4 Appearances are against 
me but my history at this school ought to tell you 
I wouldn ’t do such a thing. ’ ’ 

“ Yes,” replied one of his friends, “ and Phil 


At Greenwood School 


157 


Dunbar’s history don’t speak much in his favor. 
I’m not goin’ to believe you acted such a coward. 
Anyway, I believe you could lick Phil in a fair 
fight. You wouldn’t have to take so mean an 
advantage of him. ’ ’ 

Meanwhile Phil Dunbar was not idle. He and 
his Happy Hide-out friends continued to work in 
nightly shifts at the cave by the river. In the 
course of about two weeks they completed their 
home in the hill. And it really was a creditable 
performance from the standpoint of mechanical 
execution. The hardest part of the work was the 
bracing of the roof so as to prevent a cave-in. It 
took all their carpentering skill, but when they 
had finished, it looked safe and substantial. 

Neither Don or Julian said anything to their 
schoolmates about the secret activities of the Dun- 
barites. They had a sense of boy honor which 
prohibited “ peaching ” on the other boys, espe- 
cially when it was meddling in business not their 
own. Nobody seemed in physical danger and Don 
and Julian had no desire to face such sneering 
remarks as “ Tattle-tale ” or “ Prexy’s Pet.” 

Nor did Phil, or any of his followers, carry to 
the president or member of the faculty, any in- 


158 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


formation regarding Don’s and Julian’s connec- 
tion with the airship. True, they did considerable 
talking among themselves on the subject, for it 
afforded a matter of no little wonder among them. 
But they had no desire to make heroes of the two 
boys whom they disliked cordially, and to circulate 
the story of the two chums ’ flight in the air would 
result in the very thing that they desired most to 
avoid. It was at Phil’s suggestion that he and 
his friends kept this information as close a secret 
a possible. 

However, vague rumors of the strange affair 
spread among the boys of the school. They were 
generally laughed at, so ridiculous did they seem. 
Julian appeared to have some reason for wishing 
to keep an air of mystery about the matter and 
Don was too good a friend of his to act contrary 
to his wishes. 

But the presence of an airship in the neighbor- 
hood could not long be kept secret when its owner 
and operator chose to fly on occasions and in a 
manner that would attract attention. It was never 
seen in the daytime. But frequently at night its 
searchlights, one on each side and sweeping with 
penetrating glare through the dark atmosphere, 


At Greenwood School 


159 


caused imaginative beholders to wonder if a resur- 
rected Captain Kidd had not transferred his rov- 
ing activities from the sea to the air. One night 
the vessel appeared over the city near Greenwood 
and after entertaining the citizens with a display 
of the searchlights in varying colors, suddenly 
burst forth with a grand exhibition of fireworks 
such as few denizens of the place had ever seen. 
Then it disappeared. 

Of course this remarkable apparition and dis- 
play at once became the talk of the community and 
a subject of interest for the whole country. News- 
papers devoted columns to the mysterious visitor 
and to speculations as to her character, make and 
manner of motion. These were matters of con- 
siderable amusement to Julian Hartwick and Don 
Collins. In fact these boys were aboard the air- 
ship on the night of the fireworks display. Plans 
for the occasion had been well arranged. The 
boys had agreed to slip out of their rooms as soon 
as they were able in the evening and meet at 
a point not far from the academy. This plan was 
carried into effect and the two were then driven 
with speed in an automobile awaiting them, to the 
airship building in the woods. Here they found 


160 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

the craft and her crew ready for the trip that was 
destined to make all temporarily famous. 

Everything went smoothly and by ten thirty 
o’clock the machine was hovering over the city, 
sweeping earth and sky with its searchlights. This 
performance was continued half an hour to attract 
the attention of all who were awake and to bring 
from their beds all who had retired. Then the 
fireworks began and a spectacular sight it was. 
Don and Julian will never forget that experience 
and they have not yet altered their opinion that it 
surpassed any show they had ever seen. 

Fortunately, on that evening Phil Dunbar was 
not watching for Julian to make a night trip to 
the distant clearing. In fact, he had relaxed his 
espionage over his schoolmate since the scare he 
had received on the night when Don followed him 
and shied a stone through the window where he 
was acting the spy. Several times he planned to 
make another trip to the place for the purpose 
of a more thorough investigation, but on each 
occasion his courage failed him. Strange to say, 
he did not connect the lonely place in the timber 
with the airship, although he felt that Julian was 
on terms of familiarity with both and that Don had 


At Greenwood School 


161 


ridden with Julian on the vessel. If any sugges- 
tion of such connection came to his mind at all, 
he put it aside, for it never occurred to him that 
the airship could have been constructed in such 
an out-of-the-way place. 

Soon after the sensation caused by the appear- 
ance of the searchlights and the fireworks over 
the neighboring city, Phil and his companions 
recalled and discussed very seriously Don’s and 
Julian’s connection with the great wonder. Some 
of them decided at once to watch the movements 
of these two boys. On three nights in succession 
four of them stole out of the dormitory and 
watched an hour or more for the appearance of 
either or both of the two mysterious friends. On 
the third night their vigil was rewarded by the 
appearance of both boys hurrying along the dark 
edge of the campus and making off southward. 
Phil, Dick Harding, Stacey Williams and Homer 
Bradley were the watchers. They immediately set 
out in pursuit, following at a distance of about 
two hundred feet. 

Don and Julian led them along the same general 
route that Phil and his fellow Hide-outers fre- 
quently took to reach the cave in the hill by the 


162 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

river. Meanwhile Don and Julian were busy in 
talk. 

“ I don’t believe anybody saw me leave,” said 
Don. “ I took good care and I’m sure I got away 
safe.” 

“ I guess we’re safe enough,” replied Julian. 
“ I’m pretty sure neither Dunbar nor any of his 
bunch were watchin’. Anyway it wouldn’t make 
much difference, since the reason for keeping the 
airship a secret is about gone.” 

6 ‘ By the way, ’ ’ asked Don , 1 ‘ did you ever have 
any suspicion who put the notes in our hats that 
day? ” 

‘ ‘ Sure I did. I forgot to tell you. I suspected 
Billy Beckman all along and yesterday I got him 
to make a confession. I put the question up to 
him so quick he colored up an’ got confused an’ 
couldn’t deny it. He said when we made that 
single-file trip to Harry’s place, he was awake 
when we started and saw us. Next day he saw 
Phil eyeing us in funny manner. He seems to be 
gettin’ a dislike for Dunnie. He thought he’d 
tip us both off and put us On our guard. ’ ’ 

“ Good for Billy,” said Don enthusiastically. 
i 6 I hope he keeps clear of Dunbar and his gang. ’ 9 


At Greemvood School 


163 


They reached the clearing at last and were ad- 
mitted into the airship building after Julian had 
given his whistle signal. Phil and his companions 
were close behind them and remained at the edge 
of the open until the two they were following had 
disappeared. Then the trailers were about to 
cross the open space between them and the build- 
ing when footsteps near by caused them to hesi- 
tate. There was no mistaking the sound; they 
heard it distinctly. Evidently the newcomer had 
no suspicion of the proximity of the boys for, 
whoever it was he advanced without looking to 
right or left. Phil and his cronies crouched in the 
darkness of a cluster of bushes. Then it was seen 
that a man was approaching and that he was 
muttering to himself. At the edge of the clearing, 
about twenty feet from those who were watching 
him, the man stopped and seemed to be gazing in- 
tently toward the building which Don and Julian 
had entered. Then, suddenly, he shook his fist in 
the direction of his gaze and exclaimed: 

“You done me dirt, the worst kind. I’m goin’ 
to get revenge if I’m jailed for it.” 


CHAPTER XVI 


THE MAH IH THE WOODS 

1 ‘ I wonder who he is ? ’ ’ 

“ What in the world can he mean? ” 

“ Is he after Collie and Jule? ” 

These whispered questions were uttered in the 
pitch-dark spot in the bushes that sheltered the 
four enemies of Don Collins and Julian Hart- 
wick. All were so excited that it was a wonder 
they did not reveal their whereabouts to the man. 
But he was so preoccupied that it is probable a 
good deal more noise could have been made with- 
out attracting his attention. 

“ Don’t talk so loud,” cautioned Phil, elbowing 
his nearest companion. “ You fellows stay here! 
I’m goin’ to do some scoutin’ to find out what’s 
up. That man means mischief o ’ some sort. Stick 
here till I come back. If I need you, I ’ll give the 
scout cry. ’ ’ 

The last words were uttered with an expression 
of scorn. Phil stole silently from the place. He 
crept cautiously toward the man at the edge of 
164 


At Greenwood School 


165 


the clearing, taking every precaution not to crack 
a dry stick or rustle the underbrush or to let the 
limb of a tree or bush swing back with a swish 
after he had bent it forward. His progress was 
slow but neither did the man seem to be in any 
hurry. It did not take Phil long to get within five 
feet of the fellow. At this distance the boy found 
himself standing behind a large tree. From this 
position he could watch and listen with little 
danger of being detected. 

The man of mystery seemed large and powerful. 
As nearly as Phil could determine, he wore a 
slouch hat and his face was shaven except as to 
his upper lip, which was adorned with a long 
moustache. He was smoking a pipe. 

Phil’s position was not directly behind but a 
little to the left of the man. Because of this he 
was able to get a good side view of his face. The 
man was still mumbling to himself and this was 
what the watcher behind the tree was most in- 
terested in. As Phil reached his position of vant- 
age the man of the slouch hat, who hitherto had 
stood motionless, gazing toward the larger of the 
two buildings, shifted a little as if with impatience. 
Leaning forward the boy heard him mutter : 


166 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ Didn’t I keep his secret three months? Why 
shouldn’t he do something for me for being a 
decent guy? Then he comes across with nothin’ 
but wages an’ tells me to go chase myself. Why, 
I could’ve spoiled his game as easy as turnin’ 
over. I wish now I’d done it, too.” 

“ I wonder what he means,” thought Phil to 
himself. “ Does he mean Church-mouse or Collie- 
dog? It can’t be Church-mouse, for he couldn’t 
pay wages even to a kid for three months. It’s 
Smarty! ” 

Here Phil’s low exclamation almost betrayed 
his presence, so great was his excitement. But 
the man was mumbling again, though indistinctly. 
“ I see now,” continued Phil to himself. “I’m 
a mutt. I guess' I’d better quit this kind o’ busi- 
ness and go back to peace scoutin’. Right here 
is where the airship is kept. Mebbe it was built 
here! ” 

So great was the boy’s astonishment as he 
stumbled onto this solution of the mystery that he 
could hardly keep from rushing back to his three 
companions. 

“ I wonder if Smarty owns the airship or if 
some relative or friend o’ his owns it,” were the 


At Greenwood School 


167 


thoughts in Phil’s mind. “O’ course Church- 
mouse can’t own it or have any interest in it. He 
can’t even buy a decent suit o’ clothes. But 
Smarty might. Still that ain’t likely. I’ll bet 
it’s some one Collie-dog knows.” 

By this time the voice of the man became audible 
again and Phil was all attention, forgetful for the 
moment of his own ideas. 

44 Anyway,” said the man in the slouch hat, 
44 it’s up to me to get busy. What I’m afraid of 
is that they’re goin’ to fly to-night. That’ll spoil 
ever ’thing. But I’ve got to wait till there’s no 
one on watch. This thing o’ watchin’, however, 
ain’t accordin’ to my style.” 

44 That means he’s interested in the thing,” 
thought Phil. 44 I wonder what he’s goin’ to do. 
Watch here all night? ” 

44 It’d make a fine little blaze — both them build- 
ings would,” went on the man, who was conven- 
iently addicted to the habit of talking to himself. 
4 4 I ’d like to touch a match to ’em. ’ ’ 

Phil thought it about time to make his presence 
known. 4 4 I say, mister ! ” — he called guardedly. 

The man whirled with an exclamation. It 
sounded much like an oath. As the dimly outlined 


168 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

figure turned and saw the youth who had ad- 
dressed him, he sprang forward. Before Phil 
could escape, the big fellow seized him by both 
shoulders. 

“ What are you doin’ here, kid? ” 

Phil, desperately frightened but hopeful, 
screwed up his courage and replied with assumed 
boldness. 

i i I’m doin’ the same as you.” 

“ The same as me! What’s that? ” 

“ Watchin’ that house.” 

1 6 Watching that house ? What for ? ’ ’ 

“ Cause them in it are no friends of mine.” 

“ That don’t mean nothin’. Mebbe there’s lots 
o’ folks that ain’t no friends o’ yourn, but you 
don’t go about gluin’ your peepers onto their 
homes on a dark night. Not much, kid. There’s 
somethin’ more you’re doin’ here. Out with it 
an’ no monkeyin’ ! ” 

Phil was usually boastful of his strength. But 
this was a powerful man whose grip afforded 
painful evidence of greater strength. The boy 
had revealed his presence because he saw that the 
stranger was no friend of some occupant of the 
larger building. Phil had a hazy hope that he 


At Greenwood School 


169 


and his pals might work with the man in some 
way. In the face of the present difficulty, he ex- 
claimed boldly as he could: 

“ You might he a little careful how you handle 
me, partner. I’ve friends within a few feet an’ 
they’re watchin’ us. If you get too rough you’ll 
find them on top o’ you in about three seconds.” 

Phil really believed this or he would not have 
dared to say it. He did not know that at that in- 
stant, Stacey and Dick and Homer were trembling 
in their shoes and on the verge of flight. But his 
words had the desired effect. The man took his 
hands from Phil’s shoulders and asked: 

‘ ‘ Friends, eh ? Who are they ? ’ ’ 

“ They’ll be friends of yours, too, if you want 
’em,” replied the boy with renewed courage. 
“ We’re out here on the trail of a couple o’ fel- 
lows that just went into that building. You must 
’a’ seen ’em.” 

“ I did. What about them! ” 

“ That’s what we want to find out. I’ve got 
’em under suspicion. ’ ’ 

“ Look out, kid! You’re lyin’ to me or holdin’ 
somethin’ back. Gimme the whole truth. I don’t 
care a rip for your friends. I’m a peaceable citi- 


170 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


zen and don’t want to get into trouble when I don’t 
have to, but I’ve got a pea-shooter in my pocket 
and won’t hesitate to use it if I got to. Now, 
what’s this mean? ” 

“ Airship,” answered Phil. 

* ‘ Airship ! ’ ’ exclaimed the man, leaning for- 
ward and peering into the boy’s face. “ What 
d’you know about the airship? ” 

“ That’s the password here. It ain’t necessary 
to say anything more.” 

“ But it is,” insisted the man fiercely. “ You 
got to explain.” 

“ You tell me your story and I’ll tell you 
mine. ’ ’ 

“ Go ahead yourself. Then I’ll see what I’ll 
do.” 

“ Well,” began Phil reluctantly, convinced that 
this was the best bargain he could make, “ those 
two boys you saw enter the buildin’ are fellows I 
don’t like. One of ’em struck me on the head in 
the dark the other night an’ nearly finished me. I 
want to get even. That’s what I’m here for.” 

“ But what about the airship? ” 

“ Don’t you know about it? ” 

“ Yes, but I want to know what you know.” 


At Greenwood School 


171 


“ Well, I know it’s there,” ventured Phil. 

“ Right. But what do you want to do? ” 

“ I don’t know. I thought mebbe you could 
help me.” 

i 1 What made you think that? ” 

“ I heard you talkin’ to yourself an’ makin’ 
threats. I reckon you’re not very friendly to- 
ward some one in there. If you’re tryin’ to get 
even for somethin’ we might toss in together.” 

* 6 Right you are, kid ! What shall it be ? ” 

“ That’s what I hoped you’d suggest,” an- 
swered Phil. “ What you say to bindin’ ’em hand 
and foot and leavin’ ’em here in the woods.” 

“ I don’t know about that,” replied the man. 
i ‘ They might die if nobody happened along. But 
I’ll help you capture ’em. Then we’ll see what 
we ’ll do with ’em. I know the kids myself, or one 
of ’em, and I ain’t got no love for him.” 

“ You know Don Collins and Julian Hart- 
wick? ” exclaimed Phil. 

“ Only the Hartwick kid. But never mind that 
now. Where’ll we get the rope to tie your friends 
with when we grab ’em ? ’ ’ 

“ I’ve got some cord in my pocket,” replied 
Phil. “ I brought it along for this if we got a 
chance. ’ ’ 


172 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


1 6 Where ’s your pals ? ’ ’ 

‘ ‘ I’ll get ’em.” 

Phil called to the three trembling boys in the 
bushes. 

“ Here, kids. Everythin’s all right. He’s a 
friend. ’ ’ 

Stacey, Dick and Homer, much relieved by 
Phil’s words, appeared at once. 

“ What’s your name, so I can introduce you? ” 
smiled Phil, addressing the stranger. 

“ Jake Spellman.,” 

The introduction finished, the five conspirators 
further discussed their plans. In the course of 
this, Spellman unfolded a most audacious scheme. 
It surprised the four boys, who, however, heartily 
indorsed the idea. It meant for one thing, that 
they could not return to Greenwood Academy for 
several days. Such truancy would get them into 
trouble with “ Prexy Porkie ” but they felt con- 
fident that their parental connections would soon 
set them right again. While they were in the 
midst of this discussion their attention was sud- 
denly diverted by the opening of the airship house 
and the appearance of Don and Julian, who at 
once advanced toward them. 


At Greenwood School 


173 


i i Here they come, ’ ’ said Stacey, the first to ob- 
serve the two boys step from the building. 
“ They’re goin’ back to the Academy.” 

“ Yes, and they’re makin’ for this very spot,” 
whispered Spellman. 4 4 Now git ready, kids, an’ 
be careful. I’ll take the boy on the right. I c’n 
handle him alone. You fellows take the other 
one. One of you clap a hand over his mouth the 
first thing so’t he can’t make no noise.” 

Don and Julian were advancing across the clear- 
ing on the wagon trail, little dreaming of the 
danger that awaited them. 


CHAPTER XVII 

THE CAPTOKS AND THE CAPTIVES 

Don Collins and Julian Hartwick made the trip 
to the airship house for a special reason. This 
reason was Julian’s. Don accompanied him as a 
friend. Of course, they knew they were violating 
a rule of the school when they left the dormitory 
at night by climbing secretly through Julian’s 
window. But they were boys, and like most boys, 
they found it easier to break rules sometimes than 
to be governed by them. 

Julian had agreed to go to see his brother at 
this time as the latter was about to take an im- 
portant step regarding the airship. The boy was 
sufficiently interested to wish to keep well in- 
formed on this subject at all times. The con- 
ference being between the brothers alone, Don, at 
the suggestion of Julian, withdrew and spent the 
time studying the airship. 

At the close of the discussion between the broth- 
ers, Julian announced that he was ready to return 
to the academy. Don had had no assistance in 
174 


At Greenwood School 


175 


the inspection of the air craft. Mrs. Hartwick 
had gone to visit relatives and the helpers had 
been granted leave of absence. Therefore, before 
the boys left the place, Don asked for an explana- 
tion of several puzzling features of the aeroplane. 
Then the boys bade the inventor good night and 
started on their return. 

They had reached the edge of the clearing and 
entered upon the little roadway cut through the 
woods when out from the timber sprang several 
forms toward them. Don and Julian had little 
opportunity to defend themselves. Yet they 
struggled with all the strength they could bring 
into play. 

Don was seized by hands so powerful that it 
seemed as if the one clapped over his mouth would 
crush in his face. He was thrown to the earth 
face downward, with a heavy knee on his back. He 
would have called for help, hoping for assistance 
from Mr. Hartwick, but the crushing weight of 
the knee pressed the wind out of him. He could 
hardly breathe. Spellman, Don’s assailant, then 
tied the boy’s hands behind his back and drew a 
handkerchief over his mouth. Then he bound 
Don’s feet and hands together. 


176 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

Of course, Phil and his three companions had 
little difficulty in overpowering Julian and ren- 
dering him helpless in a similar manner. Then 
Spellman called the four boys aside. 

“ Now, I guess they’re safe enough,” he be- 
gan. “ If you did as good a job with your pris- 
oner as I did with mine, they are. The next 
move’s toward the building. But you fellers stick 
here a minute while I investigate. I’ll be back 
right away. ’ ’ 

With this caution Spellman started across the 
clearing, while his confederates nervously awaited 
his return. The boys could see his form until he 
reached the building. Then he moved to another 
side of the structure and was no longer visible. 
In their eagerness and anxiety Phil and his friends 
paid little attention to their new prisoners. These 
were cudgeling their brains for some method of 
escape and, meanwhile, straining at the cords bind- 
ing their limbs. 

Spellman was gone about fifteen minutes. On 
his return he exhibited an exhilaration that in- 
dicated he was highly pleased with something. 

“ Ever ’thing’s workin’ out great! ” exclaimed 
the man, jubilantly. “ The gink is all alone. 


At Greenwood School 


177 


Ever ’body else seems gone away. Now tbe ques- 
tion is, how can we get in'? I reckon the door’s 
locked an’ bolted on the inside. I know it’s made 
o’ good strong stuff.” 

“ I’ve got an idea,” suggested Phil in a half- 
scared voice. “ We’ll give the same signal 
Church-mouse uses to get in — three whistles.” 

“ Good! ” approved the man admiringly. 
“ You’ve got the head of a gen’ral. Our man’ll 
think it’s his little brother come back for some- 
thin’. Let’s work it this way. You stick here 
at the edge of the woods, an’ the other boys and 
me ’ll sneak over there an’ get by the door. Then 
you give the whistles and start to run up to the 
buildin’. Our friend inside’ll open the door an’ 
we’ll jump ’im. You come hoppin’ along to help 
if you’re needed.” 

“ I got you,” said Phil with a great show of 
courage. “ That suits me. Go ahead and get 
ready and I’ll make the guy think his brother’s 
come back all right. ’ ’ 

Accordingly, Spellman and Phil’s three pals 
hurried to the shed occupied by the inventor and 
his invention. As soon as they were stationed 
near the entrance, Phil blew three blasts so like 


178 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Julian’s signal that the latter and Don Collins 
thrilled with wonder and apprehension as they 
lay in the gloom tugging at their bonds. 

The ruse was successful. The door flew open 
and Julian’s brother appeared in the entrance. 
Out of the darkness four figures rushed at him 
and a fierce but unequal struggle followed. It 
could end in only one way, although Mr. Hartwick 
was a man of no mean strength himself. In a 
few minutes the inventor was lying on the floor 
bound hand and foot. His captors at once began 
their further actions toward carrying out their 
big plan. 

In the meantime, Don and Julian were not idle. 
Not a moment did they waste after being left 
alone. They tugged at the cords on their wrists 
until pain made it necessary to stop. Just then, 
Don, to his surprise, for he had not attempted this 
consciously, found his mouth free from the gag. 
This discovery of course gave him new hope. Roll- 
ing over toward his friend and announcing his 
purpose as he did so, Don managed with difficulty 
to get into a working position and began to gnaw 
at the cord binding Julian’s wrists. 

This was no small task, for the cord was heavy 


At Greenwood School 


179 


and tough. Don has since declared that he must 
have worked twenty minutes or more before he 
succeeded in pulling it loose. But after this the 
effecting of their freedom was a matter of less 
than a minute. Julian drew a knife from his 
pocket and this was soon used in an effective 
manner. 

* ‘ Who do you reckon they are? ” panted Don 
as he examined with the tips of his fingers the 
chafings on his writs. 

“ Why, don’t you know? ” exclaimed his friend. 
“ They’re Phil Dunbar and some o’ his hunch, 
o’ course. I’m sure I heard Stace Williams.” 

“ Is that so? But who’s the man? ” 

“ What man? ” 

“ The one who jumped me. Didn’t you hear 
him ? 99 

“ No. I was too busy with the ones who tackled 
me. But what do you suppose they’re up to? ” 

“ I haven’t an idea. But we’d better find out, 
if they’re in the neighborhood. Let’s have a 
look about.” 

None of the sounds of the struggle in the airship 
building had reached the ears of Don and Julian. 
They had been busy trying to liberate themselves. 


180 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

If the noise of the fight had been loud enough to 
reach the boys, their plight so absorbed them that 
they heard nothing. However, as soon as they 
succeeded in freeing themselves, they at once di- 
rected their attention to the building in which 
they had left Julian’s brother. The first thing 
that occurred to them, in fact, was to return and 
inform Harry Hartwick of their experience. With 
this in mind they hurried to the edge of the 
clearing. 

In this, fearing that their captors were yet in 
the vicinity, the boys were cautious, hesitating 
several minutes before leaving the cover of the 
woods. Julian, also, for the same reason, re- 
frained from giving the signal to announce his 
presence to his brother. Although they could 
think of no reason why Phil Dunbar and a strange 
man should wish to enter the airship house, yet 
the fact that Phil or some member of his party 
had given Julian’s signal for admittance caused 
the two boys considerable apprehension. At last, 
however, they moved slowly and carefully from 
the edge of the timber. Halfway to the building, 
Don hastily shot his hand to his friend’s shoulder. 

1 ‘ Down, quick ! ” he whispered. 


At Greenwood School 


181 


Both boys dropped to the ground. Julian saw 
the reason almost as soon as did Don. The door 
was ajar! 

“ What’s that mean? ” murmured Julian in an 
undertone. 

4 4 It means mischief , 9 9 replied Don with like cau- 
tion. 44 Let’s crawl up closer.” 

They worked their way forward, keeping their 
eyes on the partly opened door for sight of a pos- 
sible sentinel. When they started from the timber 
they were unable to see the light through the open 
door. But a closer approach altered their posi- 
tion so that the light finally fell within their vision. 
In the struggle the door had been nearly closed 
and it had been left thus by the invaders. 

Don and Julian at last got close enough to the 
door to look in. They saw at once Julian’s 
brother lying hound on the floor. They also saw 
Phil and his associates doing that which fairly 
took their breath away. Julian tugged at Don’s 
sleeve until he had drawn him some distance from 
the building. Then he whispered in tones of ex- 
citement : 

44 They’re movin’ the airship out. I’ll bet 
they ’re goin ’ to try to fly it ! ” 


182 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


‘ 1 Do yon know who that man is ? ’ ’ was Don ’s 
anxious reply. 

“ Yes. It’s Jake Spellman. He’s an engineer 
who worked for Harry awhile. He’s a clever 
mechanic but he ’s pretty tough. Harry fired him 
because he was makin’ demands and threats. He 
wanted extra money for keepin’ Harry’s secret. 
Harry stood him off till ever ’thing was about fin- 
ished. Then the man began to get ugly. My 
brother gave him what was cornin’ to him in wages 
and fired him. Jake swore he’d get even. That’s 
why Harry hurried to give the fireworks show. 
That was the thing he wanted to do secretly.” 

“ We got to stop those fellows,” announced Don 
with determination. “ Mebbe we can slip in and 
set your brother loose.” 

“ We’ll try,” added Julian. “ Come on. Let’s 
get hack to the door and see how things look.” 

But disappointment met them when they looked 
into the building again. The airship had been 
wheeled out through the wide doorway at the other 
end. Jake Spellman and Phil Dunbar had re- 
turned to where Mr. Hartwick was lying and they 
were talking to him. The conversation was loud 
enough to be overheard by the spying boys. 


At Greenwood School 


183 


“ We want yon to run that ship for us,” Jake 
was saying. 

“ You’re crazy, Spellman, if you think I’d do 
any such thing,” replied the prisoner. “You can 
go ahead and try it. You’ll either he killed or 
sent to the pen. Loosen me now and go away and 
I’ll say nothing about it. If you don’t, you’re 
goin’ to get into a fine little mess o’ trouble.” 

“You can’t scare me,” replied Jake, pomp- 
ously. “ I’ve started this to carry it through. 
You can settle matters just like I’ve told you. 
If you don’t, we go ahead alone.” 

“ I’ll agree to no such thing. It’s robbery. 
You can wreck the aeroplane but I’ll not give you 
a cent.” 

‘ i Then I ’ll sink her in the Mississippi river. ’ ’ 

“ Do as you like.” 

“ There’s one way we can make you pilot the 
thing,” began Jake anew. “We’ll take you with 
us. Then you ’ll be glad to get busy. If you don ’t, 
you can see us wreck her and kill everybody on 
board including yourself.” 

Hartwick was evidently not anticipating any- 
thing of this sort, for he remained silent as if 
not knowing just how to reply. Dick Harding and 


184 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

Homer Bradley now approached to see what suc- 
cess Spellman was having in his talk with the 
inventor. Julian, seeing the coast clear for the 
plan now actively in his mind, again tugged at 
Don’s sleeve and drew him away from their listen- 
ing place. 

“ Come quick! ” he exclaimed after they had 
retreated some distance. “ The coast’s clear. 
We’ll save the day — or night — yet. Are you 
game? ” 

“ Yes.” 

“ For anything? ” 

‘ ‘ Anything you say. ’ ’ 

“ Come on.” 

Julian ran around the corner of the building 
and to the farther end. Don tried to fathom his 
plan. They approached the airship where it stood 
in the open, and gazed quickly into the building be- 
fore taking another step. The man and the four 
boys were still standing over the helpless form 
of Mr. Hartwick. 

“ All right. In we go,” whispered Julian. 
“ Follow me.” 

The inventor’s brother ran up the short flight 
of steps and Don Collins darted after him into 
the cabin of the vessel of the air. 


CHAPTER, XVIII 


AIR PIRATES 

4 4 Can you run the ship ? ’ 9 

44 Xo. Pm not goin’ to try.” 

44 What are you goin’ to do? ” 

44 Hide.” 

Don’s questions were answered in this manner 
as the boys slipped into the cabin. Here Julian 
immediately showed that the plan he had in mind 
was based upon a thorough knowledge of the lay- 
out of the vessel. Lighting a match, he went to a 
locker at one end of the cabin and opened the 
door. Reaching in, he drew out a revolver, broke 
it open and then gave voice to an exclamation of 
disappointment. 

44 Empty! ” 

He quickly thrust the harmless weapon into his 
pocket, however, and turned to a door in the rear 
of the cabin, Don assisting him with matches to 
light the way. Julian opened the door and they 
passed in, closing the door behind them. 

The little room in which they found themselves 
185 


186 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

was about six by six feet square. In the daytime 
it was lighted by a skylight. There were electric 
light bulbs throughout the ship, including this 
room, but the dynamo was not now in operation. 

“ This is a provision and store room used only 
on long trips,’ ’ explained Julian. 

“ The door’s the only way to get out, isn’t it? ” 

“ No. If necessary we can get out through the 
skylight. It opens.” 

While Don and Julian were thus examining the 
ship all was not clear sailing outside for the con- 
spirators. Two of the boys, Stacey Williams and 
Homer Bradley, were already showing signs of 
timidness. They were afraid something might 
happen. 

“ Oh, you’re a pair o’ dead ones,” commented 
Phil. “ I’m surprised at you, Stace. I thought 
you had some grit. ’ ’ 

“ Well, I haven’t,” replied Stacey. “ There’s 
too much danger in this for me. ’ ’ 

“ You don’t think for an instant Hartwick’ll 
refuse to run the ship after we get him on board, 
do you? We’ll have a revolver at his head all 
the time if he gets ugly. Besides, he thinks too 
much of this trap to let anybody else run it. ’ ’ 


At Greenwood School 


187 


“ There ain’t no denyin’ yon’ve got to have 
nerve to start a thing like this,” put in Spellman. 
“ And if you ain’t got it, you’d better quit. Two 
is enough anyway.” 

‘ i Where are you goin ’ ? ” asked Stacey feebly. 

“ Under sealed orders,” said Jake with a leer 
and a wink. 

“ What’s that mean? ” 

“ Now see here. You kids wanted me to help 
you get revenge on them other kids we left in the 
woods. I told you I’d help. Now you’d better let 
me engineer the job. I can sail the ship. I 
worked on it three months. I’ll agree to take 
you on a peach of a trip. Are you willin’ to take 
my word for it? ” 

“ I am,” replied Phil bravely. 

‘ ‘ So’m I,” chimed in Dick. 

“ I guess so,” hesitated Stacey. 

Homer did not answer. 

“ You two half-hearted kids can’t go,” an- 
nounced Jake decidedly. “ I don’t want anybody 
on board that’ll start anything.” 

Phil here took Jake aside in order probably that 
the inventor might not hear what he had to say. 


188 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ I want to take the two prisoners in the woods 
along with us, ’ 9 he said. 

“ Along! What for! ” asked the astonished 
Jake. 

“ Well, I’ve been thinkin’ it over and I’ve de- 
cided it ain’t safe to leave ’em here. Besides, I 
think I can get somethin’ on ’em if we take ’em 
with us.” 

“ I don’t care one way or the other,” grunted 
Spellman. 

Accordingly, Mr. Hartwick was forced to his 
feet, carried out of the building and up the steps 
into the airship. There Spellman said he would 
remain on guard while the boys went for the other 
prisoners. 

Stacey and Homer went with Phil and Dick in- 
to the woods to fetch Don and Julian, although 
they were not booked for the trip in the air. Phil 
was certain he knew the exact spot where they had 
left the two prisoners in the bushes. In fact he 
did. He led the way to the place. 

The four conspirators were more than surprised 
at their inability to find the two bound forms they 
had left. They searched over a wide stretch of 
ground, thinking the two Boy Scouts might have 


At Greenwood School 


189 


rolled from the place where they had been left. 
Of course, they were unable to find them. They 
did find, however, something that explained the 
disappearance. With the aid of matches they dis- 
covered several pieces of string that had been 
cut with a knife. 

The alarmed Phil and his followers hastened 
back to the airship and reported the facts to Spell- 
man. The latter seemed little interested, for the 
feud between the boys was no concern of his. He 
merely nodded his head and announced that every- 
thing was ready for the flight. 

“ I’d like to set a blaze to them two buildings,” 
he did say with interest, “ but they’re not worth 
much and I guess the blaze might attract atten- 
tion.’ ’ 

It was still dark when the airship arose over 
the trees, leaving Homer and Stacey to look after 
her with hungry gaze, almost wishing they had 
had the courage to go along. Spellman insisted 
that the owner should take charge of the steering 
apparatus and so, before they started, he caused 
Mr. Hartwick to be stationed close behind him, 
where he could turn quickly at any time and sever 
the inventor’s bonds if anything went wrong. 


190 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

Phil, who had had practical experience in running 
a motor boat, took charge of the engine after he 
had received some instructions from Jake. 

The Nora lifted slowly into the air until she was 
well above the tree tops. She moved with ease 
and regularity. The only fault that might have 
been found was the noise made by the large pro- 
pellers. 

Meanwhile, Dick Harding proved himself a very 
inquisitive fellow. After Phil was no longer able 
to interest him in the engine and he had spent 
some minutes watching Spellman steer the craft, 
Dick began to look about. He stuck his nose into 
every nook and comer he could find. He tried all 
the lockers in the cabin but was unable to open 
them. Then he put his hand on the knob of the 
door of the store room, little aware of the sensa- 
tion this caused within. 

Then he opened the door and stepped into the 
room. Don and Julian crouched back into the 
corner to the left of the entrance. Then the in- 
truder struck a match. 

This last act was the signal to the boys in hid- 
ing that it was time to act. There was no chance 
to remain undiscovered. Quick as a flash, Don 


At Greenwood School 


191 


sprang forward and from behind threw his arms 
around the boy air pirate. 

The first thought that Dick had as he found a 
strong pair of arms bearing him to the floor was 
that it might be Phil playing a joke on him. Then, 
as quickly, he suspected that the inventor might 
have escaped and was attempting to retake the 
ship. He knew that there was little use to strug- 
gle. Indeed, he scarcely had time to think of re- 
sistance before he found himself flat on his back 
and pinioned down by a muscular pair of hands. 

While Don was engaged in holding down the 
prisoner, Julian closed the door and turned on an 
electric light. Then the much frightened Dick saw 
who his captors were, and would have given the 
alarm but Don put one hand over his mouth and 
smothered the noise. 

“ Take your handkerchief and make a string 
long enough to tie his feet together/ ’ ordered Don. 
But Julian was already doing this very thing. 
The job was soon finished. Then Julian took 
Don’s handkerchief, and the same thing was done 
to the prisoner’s hands. This task was followed 
by a gagging of the now helpless air pirate with 
his own handkerchief. 


192 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ That’s mighty good work,” chuckled Don. 
“ Now, if we could only entice Phil into this room 
we’d soon have possession of the ship.” 

“ I think we’d better go out where he is and 
capture him there,” suggested Julian. 

“ But he’ll fight.” 

“ Not when he sees this.” 

Julian drew from his pocket the unloaded re- 
volver he had found in the cabin locker. 

“ Good for you, Jule,” said Don. “ You’ve 
got a head like a safety razor — full o’ pos- 
sibilities. ’ ’ 

Here the conversation was interrupted by a 
sound that caused both boys to spring up in amaze- 
ment. It was a distinct tapping on the skylight 
above. Not a word was said for fully a minute, 
the boys silently gazing at each other and then 
up at the place from which the sound came. Pres- 
ently the tapping stopped. Then these plaintive 
words came through the glass panes : 

“ Please let me in.” 

The petition was followed by a succession of 
half suppressed sobs. 

“ Jule!” whispered Don, “there’s some one 
on the deck o’ this ship. Who can it be? ” 


At Greenwood School 


193 


“ We’ll soon find out,” replied Julian as lie 
reached up to the low ceiling and slid open the 
skylight. 

The white, frightened face that was thrust into 
the opening was that of Billy Beckman! 


CHAPTER XIX 


THE ADVENTURE OF BILLY 

When Phil and his three companions set out to 
follow Don and Julian earlier in the evening, the 
Dunbar party also was secretly followed by a lone 
boy. This was no other than Billy Beckman. To 
explain his presence on the hurricane deck of the 
airship, a thread of this story must be picked up 
in another place. 

Billy knew that his cousin was one of the Dun- 
bar quartette that had started after Don and 
Julian. But this made little difference to him. 
He was sore at both Phil and Stacey because both 
had shown a disposition to keep him out of the 
councils of the Happy Hide-outers. As a result of 
this slight, Billy had begun to style the followers 
of Phil, “ Phil-istines. ’ 9 Prom that day he was 
much in disfavor with them. 

When Billy pinned the notes of warning to the 
hats of Don and Julian in the Boy Scout camp, the 
“ Phil-istine ” joke had not been cracked. Of 
course Phil did not know the contents of the notes 


194 


At Greenwood School 


195 


but be suspected something of the truth and im- 
mediately confronted Billy with his suspicion. 
Billy replied with a fib that partly deceived Dun- 
bar. But when Beck sprang his joke about the 
“ Phil-istines, ’ ’ Phil remembered all the other 
half forgotten scores against the little fellow and 
resolved to put him in the Dunbar black list. This 
he did with Stacey’s half-hearted approval. 

Then Billy decided to watch Phil and his fol- 
lowers and < ‘ get the goods ’ 9 on them. Therefore 
it was not for the purpose of protecting the in- 
terests of Don and Julian that he followed the 
four “ Phil-istines 99 who were in turn following 
Collins and Hartwick, although he was much more 
friendly toward the latter two boys. Moreover, 
there was a good deal of mystery surrounding the 
actions of Don, Julian and Phil. The inquisitive 
Billy decided to find out what was in the wind. 

For these reasons, happening to be watching 
the actions of Phil Dunbar on the evening when 
the memorable trip across the country began, 
Billy followed at a safe distance behind the four 
“ Phil-istines.” But he did not witness the cap- 
ture of Don and Julian by Spellman and his boy 
confederates. He had already become interested 


196 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


in the airship buildings and while he was engaged 
in making an inspection of this for his own bene- 
fit, he lost track of the other actors in the interest- 
ing and mysterious woodland drama. 

Then he began a cautious search to find them 
again. But his extreme caution made this neces- 
sarily slow. When he did find the boys, it was 
while he was standing at the edge of the clearing 
when the lawless company had started toward the 
airship house. 

Billy witnessed the struggle until the door was 
knocked almost shut in the fight. He was fright- 
ened but the novelty of the situation overcame his 
fears. Then he crept close to the house and 
looked in. 

He saw the large door at the far end opened 
and a big, queer-looking machine on wheels 
pushed out. Billy could not conjecture what it 
might be and he went around the house to the 
other end to find out. 

This lone boy detective, for such he now began 
to consider himself, was brave enough in many 
respects. At least he was not afraid to take a 
bold step. The top of the wheeled machine seemed 
to him to be a good place for a Boy Scout. Boy- 


At Greenwood School 


197 


like he decided to climb to the top by means of 
the steps that led to the cabin. 

By the time he had reached the hurricane deck, 
Billy realized the nature of the vehicle on which 
he stood. He even suspected that it was the craft 
that had created such a sensation in that part of 
the country a few days previously. The sus- 
picion made his discovery the more interesting. 
He would gladly have explored the interior of the 
ship but it was dark within and he had no matches. 
He contented himself with remaining on the top, 
trying to make a study of the screw lifters and 
propellers. 

Having no suspicion of the plan of Jake Spell- 
man and the “ Phil-istines ” to make a flight in 
the air, Billy was content to remain in hiding on 
top of the ship. A little later he became afraid 
to descend to the ground because of the sound of 
voices and moving feet below. He heard Don and 
Julian enter the ship hut did not know who they 
were. Then he heard the Spellman-Dunbar party 
as it forced Julian’s brother into the aeronautic 
prison he had made for himself. Several persons 
went away and were gone about fifteen minutes, 
after which they returned in a good deal of ex- 
citement. 


198 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Billy was forced to remain on top of the vessel 
while preparations were being made for the start. 
He little thought, however, that he was about to 
make a flight high above the earth on the open 
hack of a ship of the air, his only protection the 
four-foot railing that ran around the deck of the 
metal craft. To he sure, this was quite adequate 
so long as the ship remained upright, hut sailing 
high above the earth is not like sailing on the 
water. The novice aviator, for in such a position 
Billy soon found himself, is likely to see mental 
pictures of ungraceful somersaults in the air. 

The entire exterior of the vessel seemed to be of 
polished metal. Even in the dim starlight the re- 
flections from its surface were noticeable. Near 
the middle of the deck was a trapdoor leading 
into the cabin. But Billy at first did not attempt 
to open this. He was fearful of revealing his 
presence to those within. He inspected the 
mechanism that was visible from the deck and 
looked with awe at the great lift and propeller 
screws. 

Suddenly the lift screws began to revolve. They 
were seven or eight feet above the deck and there 
was no danger of their striking his head. But 


At Greenwood School 


199 


nevertheless Billy became frightened. The huge 
air fans whirled faster and faster, forcing upon 
him a strong wind and blowing his straw hat off. 
He tried to catch the hat as it flew toward the rail- 
ing but it eluded him and flopped under the rail- 
ing to the ground. Then he felt the ship move, 
straining and rocking as if hesitating whether to 
rise from or cling to the earth. Deciding in favor 
of the former, it arose and was soon over the tree 
tops. As he saw these sink below the level of the 
deck, Billy dropped prone on the latter and tried 
to find something to hold fast to. The framework 
of one of the lift screws proved convenient for 
this. The fact that the ship was now riding easily 
and with no rocking, reassured him somewhat. 
Then he crawled to the hatch with a hope of being 
able to descend even into the midst of a company 
of unfriendly persons. 

He found a ring handle on the hatch and tried 
to raise it. He did not know that it was necessary 
to twist it to unlatch the deck door. He failed. 
Believing the hatch locked, he sank back and clung 
again to a near-by bit of framework, sobbing in 
fear. Here he remained for a long time almost 
crazed with fright. The ship flew swiftly through 


200 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


the air but Billy had no knowledge of the speed 
at which she was traveling. Gradually, however, 
he became accustomed to the noise of the powerful 
screws and looked up at them with a numb, half 
conscious curiosity. 

Then he began to look about him again. He 
had seen the small skylights over the cabin, the 
store room, the engine room and the pilot house. 
As it happened, close shades were drawn over all 
except the skylight of the room in which Don and 
Julian had hidden themselves. He was just begin- 
ning to crawl about on his hands and knees to look 
again for an opening through one of the deck 
windows, when Dick Harding entered the store 
room and struck a match. 

Billy caught a glimpse of the three boys in the 
flare. He recognized the face of only one of them, 
Don Collins. Then he saw Don and another boy 
seize the boy with the lighted match and the flame 
was extinguished. The noise of the struggle came 
to him indistinctly but after a few minutes an in- 
candescent bulb was turned on. He could see that 
the struggle was all over. Then he also recognized 
Julian and Dick and decided to attract attention. 

The result has been described. Billy lost no 
time in lowering himself into the little room. 


CHAPTER XX 

TRAPPING THE AIR PIRATES 

Of course Don and Julian were all excitement on 
discovering Billy Beckman. They began excitedly 
to ply him with whispered questions. 

‘ 1 What on earth are you doing here ! ’ ’ 

“ How under the sun did you get up there! ” 

“ How long have you been there! ” 

These were some of the questions that Billy had 
to face. Meanwhile the surprise of his question- 
ers tended to make him forget his own fright on 
the open deck. He began to feel himself some- 
thing of a hero. 

“ One question at a time,” he exclaimed, swell- 
ing out his chest in a comical manner — comical in 
view of his recent fright. “ I’ve been ridin’ out 
under the stars and keepin’ cool in the breeze of 
the big fans. But it got a little too cool. I thought 
I’d come in.” 

“ Yes you did,” replied Julian incredulously. 
“ If we’re to judge by the whiteness of your face 
201 


202 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


when you looked through the skylight, you were 
nearly scared to death. ’ ’ 

“ Oh, that was just because of the light on my 
face,” protested Billy with a suppressed guffaw. 

“ But the light didn’t make your eyes stand out. 
Besides, you’ve been cryin’. Right now you’re 
tremblin’ like a leaf. No, Billy, you can’t put that 
one over on us. You were scared good and 
proper. ’ ’ 

“ Never mind, Beck,” said Bon with renewed 
caution as to silence. “ That’s a brave thing to 
do — ride out there on the open deck up here in 
the air. But how’d you happen to get there? ” 

“ I followed you fellows from the school.” 

“ What for? ” 

“ Because you were bein’ followed.” 

i ‘ By Phil Dunbar and some others ? ’ ’ 

“ Yes.” 

“ What were they followin’ us for? Do you 
know? ” 

“ Oh, just to be mean I guess. Ask Hardie 
there. ’ ’ 

“ You wait till I get out o’ this and I’ll fix you, 
you little sneak,” said Dick Harding, who had 
already managed to get the gag from his mouth. 


At Greenwood School 


203 


il You won’t do any such thing,” announced 
Don positively. “ You lay a finger on Billy and 
I’ll stir your face till it looks like a bowl o’ 
punch. ’ ’ 

“ You ain’t big enough. You never was. You 
never will be. Just take these rags off my wrists 
and ankles and gimme a chance. I’ll show you 
what I can do. You’re too much of a coward to 
do anything but jump on my back, two of you, in 
the dark. A fine pair o’ sneaks both o’ you.” 

“ How about the way you fellows jumped on us 
in the woods? ” asked Julian. 

“ You keep your trap shut, Church-mouse. No- 
body was speakin’ to you.” 

“ Well, I’ll ask the question,” interposed Don 
with a smile. “ Mebbe you’ll answer me.” 

“ I wasn’t runnin’ that game,” replied Dick, 
sullenly. 4 4 Anyway, we didn’t have no time to 
waste on you then.” 

“ Well, we haven’t any time to waste on you 
now. I’ll consider your challenge later. By the 
way, Billy, you haven’t explained how you hap- 
pened to get on top of the ship.” 

Billy told this chapter of his experiences with- 
out attempting to assume any credit to himself. 


204 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Then the subject of taking possession of the ship 
came up for discussion and Don explained to Billy 
all that had happened. 

“ We’ve got one of ’em safe enough an’ that 
leaves four more to be taken care of, ’ ’ said Don. 
“ I wish all of ’em would come in here, one at a 
time as Dick did.” 

Don did not know that two of the Dunbarites had 
lost courage and left the ship just before it started. 
Had he known that only two of their enemies 
were at large on the vessel and that both of these 
were busy running the craft, he would have lost no 
time in advancing upon them, depending upon 
Julian’s revolver to frighten Phil and Jake Spell- 
man into submission. 

Meanwhile the prolonged absence of Dick from 
the engine room had caused Phil to call him sev- 
eral times. Phil was becoming lonesome and 
wanted somebody to talk to. Spellman, in the 
next room, was not of a talkative nature. More- 
over, he was occupied with the task of directing 
the boat ’s course. Phil had no desire to enter into 
conversation with Mr. Hartwick, who sat bound 
hand and foot on a stool near the pilot seat. As 
Dick made no reply to his calls, Phil decided to go 


At Greenwood School 


205 


in search of his pal after making certain that the 
engine was in condition to be left unattended for 
a while. 

He searched every corner of the ship excepting 
the store room, even ascending to the hurricane 
deck where he found not a sign of his missing com- 
panion. Much frightened, for he was afraid that 
Dick might have fallen off the ship, Phil was about 
to communicate his fear to Spellman when the 
door leading into the store room caught his eye. 
As a last hope he decided to open it and look in. 

Within this apartment three boys were waiting 
to receive him. Billy Beckman held a hand over 
Dick’s mouth to prevent his giving warning to his 
fellow air pirates and Don and Julian stood at one 
side ready to receive the chief of the Happy Hide- 
outers. Julian held his brother’s empty revolver. 
If they had known that only Phil and Spellman 
were in possession of the ship the boys would 
have turned out the light and opened the door in 
order to be certain that the searcher would in- 
vestigate the store room. As it was, they kept 
still and waited. 

As Phil opened the door his mouth fell open. 
He was too much astonished to make a sound. 


206 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Julian, thrusting the revolver up close to the in- 
truder, said with dramatic fierceness : 

“ Keep still or I’ll blow your brains out. Come 

in.” 

Phil obeyed as mechanically as if the blood- 
thirsty command was the real power that moved 
his body. Don closed the door and began to secure 
the second prisoner. He found it necessary to 
take off his shirt and cut it into strips, being care- 
ful also to provide enough rope to bind the other 
pirates as soon as captured. Phil offered no re- 
sistance, for he had a wholesome fear of the re- 
volver. While his hands were being tied, he 
asked : 

‘ ‘ How ’d you get here ? ’ ’ 

“ We dropped out of the sky,” replied Don. 
“ And we’re goin’ to drop onto your friends in 
crime in just a few minutes.” 

“ They’ve got us goin’, that’s sure,” sputtered 
Dick. “ I think we’d better make a bargain. 
Let’s help ’em make a prisoner of Spellman. 
They’ll need help. He’s a big fellow and can 
handle all the kids on this ship. If Stace and 
Homer hadn’t backed out, we’d have had a 
chance. ’ ’ 


At Greenwood School 


207 


“ What’s that! ” exclaimed Don and Julian in 
chorus. 

“ Well, you’re a nice fool,” muttered Phil with 
contempt. 4 ‘ Here you’ve told ’em Spellman’s 
the only one in possession of the ship. All they’ll 
have to do now is to slip up behind him, put the 
revolver to his face and our little cruise is all 
over. ’ ’ 

“ Thank you very much for the information,” 
said Don heartily. 4 4 That’s just what we’ll do at 
once.” 

Harry Hartwick had little conversation with 
Jake Spellman in the pilot house. Spellman had 
tried hard to induce the inventor to take charge 
of the steering apparatus but he had refused, hop- 
ing thus to compel the air pirate to forego his de- 
sign. But Jake had a good deal of confidence in 
his own ability as an aviator, having made numer- 
ous flights in aeroplanes and being familiar with 
the Nora and her operating mechanism. But, as 
a precaution against wrecking the vessel, he set 
Mr. Hartwick close behind him and kept an open 
knife close at hand that he might sever the in- 
ventor’s bonds if he found himself at any time in 
serious difficulty. 


208 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


It was tiresome sitting there for two hours with 
no freedom of his limbs and Mr. Hartwick was 
sorely tempted many times to offer to operate the 
vessel. But pride and a certain degree of con- 
fidence in Spellman’s ability held him back. And 
perhaps this was fortunate. 

Of course, Mr. Hartwick had no suspicion that 
friends were aboard the ship or he would have felt 
much more cheerful. And it was a far from un- 
pleasant surprise to him when Julian slipped up 
behind him and held before his eyes a piece of 
paper on which were written these words : 

“ You have friends on board. Offer to steer the 
ship so that Spellman will cut your bonds. I have 
a revolver and will show myself as soon as you are 
free. 

Julian.” 

The inventor read the note with composure and 
nodded his head. Julian then slipped back into 
the rear cabin. 


CHAPTER XXI 

AN EMPTY REVOLVER 

“ Spellman! ” 

It was the first time for a long white that Mr. 
Hartwick had spoken to his captor. Jake gave his 
questioner no attention until the latter spoke 
again. 

“ Spellman! ” 

“ Well, what is it? 99 
“ Are you tired? ” 

“ Not ’specially.” 

“ Like to have me relieve you! 99 
“ You’re cornin’ around are you? 99 
“ I’m tired sittin’ here this way.” 

“ I thought you’d wake up. Be careful you 
don’t play me no tricks. I’ve got a pea-shooter 
that spits awful hard peas an’ I’ll use it too.” 

Jake turned and cut the strings that hound Mr. 
Hartwick ’s wrists. 

“ I ain’t a-goin’ to loosen your ankles,” he con- 
tinued, “ unless you promise to do what I asked. 
It’s ten thousand dollars for what I done on your 
209 


210 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

invention. Eemember that. If yon don’t come 
across, I’ll sink this flyer in the Mississippi 
river. ’ ’ 

“ I’ve told you I haven’t that much money,” 
protested Mr. Hartwick. 

“ And I’ve told you all kinds o’ money’s cornin’ 
to you. I know your deal with Beebe. He’s a 
millionaire an’ he’s to come across as soon as this 
thing’s a success. That time is past. Are you 
ready to sign? ” 

“ I’ll think it over.” 

“ Well, see that you steer straight while you’re 
thinkin’. I’m watchin’ you and the stars. I’ll 
know if you change the course an inch.” 

Spellman had seen Julian in the pilot house 
when the latter approached his brother with the 
note of information, but he supposed the boy was 
Phil or Dick and paid no attention to his actions. 
Moreover, the entire proceeding took place behind 
him and he caught sight of nothing to arouse his 
suspicion. But when suddenly Julian and Don ap- 
peared at the door of the pilot house and inter- 
rupted the talk between the inventor and the chief 
pirate, Spellman knew at once that his game was 
finished and that he had lost. Julian was point- 
ing a revolver at his head. 



ORmmf 


Julian was pointing a revolver at his head, and Spellman knew 
that his game was over and he had lost. 







































7 



























































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♦ 






















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- 






























At Greenwood School 


211 


“ Wh-wh-wh-where ’d you come from? ” Jake’s 
dismay was almost pitiful. 

“ Never mind where we came from,” replied 
Julian with determination. “ It’s enough for you 
to know your kid pals are in the same fix you left 
us in back in the woods. There’s nobody to help 
you. Throw up your hands. My friends ’ll search 
you for that pea-shooter you’ve been talkin’ so 
much about. By the way, this one shoots just as 
hard peas as yours.” 

Some time later Jake was informed that the 
chambers in Julian’s revolver were empty when 
he and Don took possession of the airship. But 
then he was locked in the county jail and could do 
no harm. 

Spellman used a good deal of ungentlemanly 
language as he was being disarmed and his hands 
and feet secured. He was unable to control his 
disappointment and swore voluminously, cursing 
Julian and Don particularly. 

“You’re a cheat and a thief,” were some of 
the words he used to Julian’s brother. “ You 
know well enough this airship wouldn ’t have been 
a success if it hadn’t been for me. You’ll make 
twenty-five thousand dollars. Half of that ought 


212 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

to be mine. I was only tryin’ to get by force wbat 
you wouldn’t give me by rights.” 

44 Have it your own way,” replied Mr. Hart- 
wick. i 6 If you can convince a jury that’s the 
truth maybe you’ll be able to make your sentence 
lighter. ’ ’ 

“ Do you mean you’re goin’ to have me ar- 
rested? ” 

“ I mean I’m goin’ to turn you over to the 
authorities and tell them my story. If they advise 
me to let you go, I suppose I will. But you know 
how much chance there is of my gettin’ any such 
advice. ’ ’ 

Mr. Hartwick of course had turned the airship 
back eastward. It was daylight when he reached 
the vicinity of the starting place. But he did not 
land in the clearing in the woods. Instead he made 
directly for Oberton. 

The entire population of this place was soon in- 
formed of the arrival of the air craft that had 
created so much excitement on former occasions. 
Business was suspended and a crowd of men, wo- 
men and children was on the scene almost as soon 
as the ship alighted in an open field within the city 
limits. 


At Greenwood School 


213 


The inventor was the only one of the vessel's 
crew who showed himself immediately after the 
landing. Don, Julian and Billy remained inside 
to keep watch over the prisoners, as it was feared 
they might loosen their bonds and make a dash for 
liberty. Mr. Hartwick met the crowd, made an 
explanation and then asked for the sheriff or the 
chief of police. The sheriff happened to be one of 
the first on the scene. He was soon in possession 
of the story of the adventures of the inventor, 
the Boy Scouts and the air pirates. The prisoners 
were taken to jail and warrants sworn out for their 
arrest. Don, Julian and Billy remained all this 
time in charge of the Nora. 

Julian's brother was absent nearly an hour. 
Meanwhile, the boys remained inside the ship 
with the gangway closed, as they well knew that 
they would soon have trouble if they gave any of 
the crowd encouragement to come aboard. The 
curious inhabitants of the town showed no dispo- 
sition to retire. It seemed as if every inhabitant 
of the place must be gathered around the airship. 

“ There's not many kids as lucky as we are,'* 
said Don as he gazed through a window of the 
cabin at the big-eyed and gaping townsfolk. “ I 


214 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

bet there ’s five hundred boys out there jealous of 
us.” 

“ But they ain’t jealous of Phil an’ Dick,” de- 
clared Billy. “I’m glad Stace backed out.” 

“ Yes, an’ it’d have been better for Phil an’ 
Dick if they’d done the same,” said Julian 
gravely. 

“ Do you think they’ll be hung for stealin’ this 
airship? ” inquired Billy with a comical look of 
awe. 

Both Don and Julian laughed. 

“No danger o’ that, Beck,” Don replied. 
“ They don’t hang anybody in this state, an’ no- 
body ’d be hung anywhere in this country except 
for murder.” 

“ Will they be sent to the penitentiary? ” 

“ Spellman will, I suppose. But Phil an’ Dick 
will probably be spanked an’ sent home to learn 
better manners.” 

The boys were much entertained by the evi- 
dences of wonder and curiosity on the part of 
many of the crowd gathered closely around the 
ship. Gaping mouths, saucer eyes, all kinds of 
positions and gestures, converted them into a 
moving-picture vaudeville. Several of the boys 


At Greenwood School 


215 


almost stood on their heads in contortive efforts 
to see every square inch of the underside of the 
aeroplane. Some of the younger element jumped 
about in great glee on discovering that the two 
circular lookout windows in front suggested the 
big orbs of a monster in a fairy tale. 

When Harry Hartwick returned, he was still 
accompanied by the sheriff. The latter had in- 
sisted that he come to his home, which was con- 
nected with the county jail, and be his guest as 
long as he would stay. This was just the oppor- 
tunity the inventor was looking for. What he 
wanted most now was advertisement. This, of 
course, would come very naturally as a result of 
the revelation of his achievement, but he had no 
place in Oberton where he might exhibit the aero- 
plane for the benefit of persons interested in it in 
a financial way. The sheriff’s offer was a timely 
one and he accepted it with concealed eagerness. 

Sheriff Legler was a shrewd politician. He 
saw an opening here to make himself famous. He 
was already well known in the county, but he 
had an ambition more far-reaching. He wished 
to become a member of the state legislature. 

Here was his opportunity to advertise his 


216 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

name not only throughout the state, but from one 
end of the country to the other. Sheriff Legler 
realized very quickly that such an invention as 
Harry Hartwick’s would bring a flock of news- 
paper men from many large cities, while the As- 
sociated Press would send out dispatches concern- 
ing this remarkable achievement. And wherever 
a report was sent, Louis Legler ’s name would go 
with it. 

The inventor started the engine, and the airship 
arose, bearing its owner and the three boys and 
the aspiring county official, and when they came 
down to earth again, it was on Sheriff Legler ’s 
front lawn. The distance was only a mile, and the 
crowd followed on a run. Fifteen minutes after 
the aeroplane alighted, a large part of the popula- 
tion of the city was in front of the sheriff’s house, 
and there were nearly four thousand inhabi- 
tants in the place. They tramped all over Mr. 
Legler ’s well-kept lawn, and the smiling politician 
didn’t seem to care a fig. Men, women and chil- 
dren — it was an early outing such as Oberton 
had never seen before. 

All the laboring folk were late to work that 
morning. Those who had not already inspected 


At Greenwood School 


217 


the aeroplane at its first landing-place in the 
town, took advantage of the opportunity now. 
They tramped over the well-kept and unfenced 
lawn of Sheriff Legler, eager to get a close view 
of the magic machine that had caused such a sen- 
sation. 

It was almost noon by the time the lawn and the 
street in front of the house were cleared and the 
aviators were permitted to take a breathing spell. 
Meanwhile, the news of the excitement had 
reached Greenwood Academy, and “ Prexy 
Porkie ” got into an automobile and broke the 
speed limit in a race to town to see this new won- 
der. He arrived shortly before noon, and was 
greatly surprised to find Don, Julian and Billy 
explaining to an admiring group of boys some of 
the mysteries of the airship. 

‘ ‘ Ah-ha ! ’ ’ he exclaimed, as he sprang for- 
ward and seized Don and Julian by the arm. 
‘ 4 So this is what my young runaways are doing, 
is it? Went crazy over the airship, did you? 
Well, I’ll give you a nice automobile ride back to 
the academy, and make you write the word air- 
ship ten thousand times.” 


CHAPTER XXII 


THE ESCAPE OF THE AIR PIRATES 

Don and Julian did not know whether to be 
frightened or amused at the threatening manner 
and words of the master of Greenwood. Before 
they could do either another arrival appeared on 
the scene and changed the complexion of affairs. 
This was Mr. Richard Beebe, several times a mil- 
lionaire and one of the most active members of 
the board of directors of the school. 

He drew President Bacon aside and spoke to 
him privately. The latter appeared to be aston- 
ished. Pretty soon the president turned his at- 
tention to the airship, asking the boys and Harry 
Hartwick a score of questions regarding it. Then 
he held a private interview with Phil Dunbar and 
Dick Harding in their cell, after which he got into 
his automobile and rode away. 

If Don Collins and Billy Beckman had over- 
heard the conversation between Mr. Beebe and 
President Bacon, they would have been deeply 
puzzled. These are the words that passed be- 
tween them: 


218 


At Greenwood School 


219 


“ Don’t bother the boys,” said Mr. Beebe, as 
he drew the president aside. 4 ‘ Let ’em alone. I 
know all about this affair.” 

“ But they ran away from school — stole out of 
the dormitory at night,” protested Mr. Bacon. 
“ I can’t overlook that. What kind of discipline 
will I have, Mr. Beebe? ” 

“ The discipline will be all right,” assured the 
latter. “Just take my word for it. The boys 
haven’t been doing anything wrong. I’ll explain 
everything later. Let the responsibility rest en- 
tirely on my shoulders.” 

“ All right, if you insist, but I’m very much 
afraid, Mr. Beebe, you’re making a serious mis- 
take. ’ ’ 

Julian would not have been surprised if he had 
heard this conversation. 

The director did not remain long. He did not 
seem to be at all curious regarding the aeroplane, 
merely looking it over hastily as a farmer would 
examine a neighbor’s new threshing machine. 
Before leaving, he slapped the inventor familiarly 
on the shoulder and congratulated him heartily. 

“ What in the world does all this mean? ” Don 
asked himself. He would have put the question 


220 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

to Julian, but preferred to let his friend volunteer 
an explanation. Julian said nothing. 

At noon, the sheriff invited the inventor and 
the three boys into his dining room for luncheon. 
The invitation was accepted, and after the meal, 
Don announced his intention to return to the 
academy. 

“ I hope you won’t do that yet,” spoke up the 
shrewd politician quickly. “ You can’t do much 
more at school to-day, and to-morrow is Satur- 
day, and the next day is Sunday. Why not re- 
main here as my guests until Monday morning? 
I’ll take you over to Greenwood in an auto then.” 

Sheriff Legler would have made a good newspa- 
per man. He had the news-feature instinct. He 
understood quickly the important positions the 
boys would receive in the metropolitan news col- 
umns. The inventor himself would not be as great 
a hero as Billy Beckman, while the recapture of 
the ship in the air by Don and Julian would set 
the whole country afire. And as for the sheriff, 
would it not be an excellent stroke to see to it that 
the boys were interviewed by the reporters and 
correspondents at his home? Sheriff Legler de- 
cided that it would, and nobody could accuse him 


At Greenwood School 


221 


of seeking newspaper notoriety. It was his hos- 
pitable nature that had inspired him to ask the 
boys to remain as his guests — he never thought 
of such a thing as the advertising consequences 
for himself. 

A local daily was published in Oberton, and the 
boys had already been interviewed. They con- 
sented to remain as the sheriff ’s guests until Mon- 
day morning. In the course of the afternoon and 
evening, several reporters arrived from Chicago, 
Milwaukee and other cities within a few hours ’ 
ride, and the boys and Harry Hartwick were kept 
busy telling their story over and over again until 
midnight. Sheriff Legler managed to be present 
at all these interviews. 

The prisoners were visited in their cells sev- 
eral times by the reporters. Hon, Julian and 
Billy visited them once. Spellman cursed them, 
Phil Dunbar refused even to look at them, but 
Dick Harding was repentant and said he was 
sorry he had “ mixed up in such a foolish scrape/ ’ 

The jail was a two-story brick structure in the 
rear of and adjoining the home and office of the 
county sheriff. Outside the windows were the 
usual iron bars, the only signs that distinguished 


222 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


it from the front of the building and gave it the 
appearance of a prison. The three air pirates 
occupied a cell on the first floor. Of course 
Sheriff Legler treated the newspaper represen- 
tatives royally. He caused supper to be served 
to all who arrived in the afternoon, and gave two 
of them a bed for the night. These were Roy 
Johnson, an Associated Press reporter, and 
Larry Ballantyne, who represented a Chicago 
morning paper. They occupied a room on the 
second floor, while Harry Hartwick, Don, Julian 
and Billy slept in an adjoining apartment which 
contained two beds. 

The aviators were nearly exhausted when they 
went to bed. They had had no sleep the night be- 
fore and had been the objects of so much attention 
during the day and until midnight that they could 
find no time even to think of taking a nap. But 
after their heads touched the pillow, they fell 
asleep almost immediately. 

Don awoke with a start. The room was dark, 
but he had difficulty in remembering where he 
was. The noise that awakened him thrilled him 
in the wildest manner. He had been dreaming 
of their air-pirate adventure. It seemed that 


At Greenwood School 


223 


Jake Spellman had made prisoners of him and 
his friends in the aeroplane shed in the woods, 
that he escaped and the two had run a race for 
possession of the vessel, that Spellman won, 
reaching the ship just in time to spring aboard 
and fly away before Don could prevent him 

It was the noise of the whirring propellers that 
awoke the boy. And after he was wide awake, 
the noise did not cease. Don did not know what 
to make of it. He was quickly thrown into a con- 
fusion of mind, full of weird suggestions. Had 
Harry Hartwick got up and gone out in his 
sleep, and was he now unconsciously taking a 
flight in his aeroplane ? Don hastened to examine 
the bed of the Hartwick brothers, and found them 
both lying there asleep. 

Still the noise of the whirring propellers con- 
tinued outside. Don went to the window at the 
head of the bed and ran the curtain up. Day Vas 
just breaking, and it was light enough for him to 
see the Nora rising in the air. A light was shin- 
ing from the nearest pilot room window. 

What could it mean? Who was operating the 
vessel? Don wondered if he was still dreaming. 
Then realizing suddenly the importance of quick 


224 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

action, he turned again to the bed of the Hart- 
wick brothers, and shook the inventor vigorously. 

4 4 Wake up, Mr. Hartwick, wake up! ” he said. 
“ Somebody’s stealing your airship! ” 

“ What’s that? ” exclaimed the young man, 
springing out of bed. 

“ Don’t you hear it? Listen! ” 

The vibrating sound of the great whirring fans 
could still be heard, but it died out in the distapce 
while they were listening. Harry sprang to the 
window and looked out. Don also looked. The 
airship could be seen faintly in the morning twi- 
light, flying oft toward the east. 

“ What’s the matter, Harry? ” 

Julian also had awakened, and was sitting up 
in bed as he asked this question. 

“ Somebody’s running off with the aeroplane,” 
replied Harry, as he pulled down the curtain and 
turned on the electric light. 

“ Get up an’ dress quick. We’ve got to get out 
o’ here in ten seconds.” 

“ Who d’you think it is? ” asked Julian as he 
bounded out of bed. 

“ There’s only one person possible,” replied 


At Greenwood School 


225 


the inventor. 4 4 He’s the only one besides me 
who can run the Nora.” 

44 But he’s in jail,” said Julian. 

44 Is he? ” asked his brother significantly. 

44 What do you mean by that? ” 

44 I mean he’s escaped.” 

This assertion electrified Don and Julian into 
greater activity, and they were soon dressed. 
Meanwhile, Billy, who had been sleeping with 
Don, also awoke and began to pull on his clothes, 
after catching the drift of affairs. 

“I’m goin’ to wake the reporters in the next 
room,” announced Julian as he put on his coat 
and started for the door. 

“ Yes, do,” said the inventor. “ The sooner 
the newspapers get this, the sooner the thieves 
are likely to be arrested.” 

“ I suppose you think Phil Dunbar an’ Dick 
Harding escaped with Spellman an’ helped steal 
the airship,” said Don. 

4 4 Sure. They were all in the same cell. ’ ’ 

Pretty soon Julian returned with the informa- 
tion that he had awakened Johnson and Ballan- 
tyne. 

44 I’m goin’ to wake the sheriff,” said Harry, 


226 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


starting for the door. “ He’ll know the best way 
to get after the thieves.” 

But just then there was a knock on the door, 
and Mr. Legler entered with evident excitement. 

“ The prisoners have escaped an’ the airship’s 
gone ! ” he cried. 

“ Just as I told you,” said the owner of the 
aeroplane, addressing the boys. 

1 ‘ How did they get out ? ’ ’ asked Don. 

“ Pried loose a couple o’ bars on the window. 
Poor mason-work — the bricks gave way.” 

“ What did they pry with? ” inquired Julian. 

“ Leg of a chair. But come on if you want to 
catch ’em.” 

“ What’s your plan? ” asked Harry Hartwick. 

“ Follow ’em, o’ course.” 

“ How? ” 

“In an auto. I’ve ordered one already, an’ 
it’ll be out in front in twenty minutes.” 

“ How d’you know what direction to take? ” 

“ I saw ’em as they flew away. We’ll take a 
chance on that an’ make inquiries on the road.” 

“ Yes, that’s a good plan,” commented Harry 
approvingly. “ It’ll be daylight pretty soon. 
Maybe we can see the ship. ’ ’ 


At Greenwood School 


227 


At this suggestion, Don went to the east win- 
dow and ran the curtain up again. Day was 
dawning rapidly, hut it was not light enough 
yet to make the aeroplane visible, even if it was 
still flying toward the east. Just as they were 
about to go downstairs, Johnson and Ballantyne 
appeared in the room. Julian explained the situ- 
ation in a few words. 

“ We want to go along/ ’ said Ballantyne. 
“ Where can we get an auto? ” 

“ Come on down stairs, an’ I’ll order one for 
you,” said the sheriff. 

They all descended into the dining room. Mr. 
Legler went direct to the telephone on the wall 
and took down the receiver. 

“ Hello,” he said presently, “ give me 4-5-7.” 
After waiting half a minute, he continued : 

“ Hello, is this Ball? — This is Sheriff Legler. 
Say, Ed, send another machine over as soon as 
you can get it here. There’s a couple of news- 
paper boys here want it. They’re 0. K. I’ll stand 
behind ’em. Don’t disappoint ’em. You’ve got 
another chauffeur there, ain’t you? — Well, wake 
’im up, an’ hustle.” 

“ He’s a prince,” whispered Ballantyne to 
Johnson. 


228 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ Yes, an’ I’m goin’ to give him a good send- 
off in my story. ’ ’ 

“ So’m I.” 

Meanwhile, Sheriff Legler was smiling in his 
sleeve. He was thanking his lucky star that the 
airship had been stolen, and he was thus given an 
opportunity to conduct a pursuit after the flying 
thieves and incidentally to extend courtesies to 
the newspaper representatives. And all the 
while, the thing uppermost in his mind was that 
coveted seat in the legislature at Madison. 

While they were waiting for the automobile, 
Mr. Legler took his guests back into the jail and 
showed them the cell from which the prisoners 
had escaped. It was more like an ordinary, 
poorly furnished, uncarpeted room than a cell. 
The furniture consisted of a table, three chairs 
and three pine hoard cots, with a blanket each for 
a mattress and a stuffed canvas cushion for a 
pillow. The windows were “ protected ” with 
small iron bars set in the masonwork, their weak- 
ness and inefficiency being evident in the appear- 
ance of those that had been pried loose by the es- 
caping prisoners. 

“ You need a new jail,” said Harry Hartwick. 


At Greenwood School 


229 


“ Yes,” replied Legler. “ This is a poor affair. 
I’m goin’ to ask the county board for a new one. 
I’ve been in office only a short time.” 

“ Why did you put three prisoners in one 
cell? ” asked the inventor. “ Didn’t you have 
three empty cells? ” 

“ Yes, that is — a — ” replied the sheriff, with 
a nervous glance toward the reporters; “ but 
they weren’t all ready; so I put ’em in here for 
the night. I intended to separate ’em this morn- 
ing.” 

Julian’s brother did not press his inquiry fur- 
ther and Legler hoped earnestly that the sug- 
gested criticism had not been noted seriously by 
the press representatives. In order to substitute 
a less embarrassing subject of conversation, he 
said: 

“ The sun’s up, an’ it’s light. Let’s go out, an’ 
see if we can see the airship.” 

There was general agreement to this proposal, 
and they all sought the spot where the aeroplane 
had rested the day before. The grass and grad- 
ing and flower beds and rose and lilac bushes on 
the unfenced lawn had suffered considerably as a 
result of the trespassing of the townsfolk, but it 


230 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


was county property, and a special fund was ap- 
propriated by the county board for keeping it up. 
Hence Mr. Legler did not worry over the damage 
done. ‘ ‘ The people did the damage, and the peo- 
ple must pay for it.” 

But the condition of the lawn was a matter of 
small consideration now. In fact, the sheriff was 
the only person present who noticed it, and his at- 
tention was attracted elsewhere by excited words 
and actions from his guests. All of them seemed 
to have discovered the aeroplane at once. 

It was in plain view, high in the air, several 
miles away and flying toward the east. Several 
of the sheriff’s neighbors also had observed its 
disappearance from the lawn, and were now 
watching its lofty flight. 

“ They can’t keep that up long,” declared 
Harry Hartwick, as he gazed anxiously after his 
fleeing invention. “ They haven’t got gasoline 
enough. ’ ’ 

“ That’s so,” declared Julian. “ We were 
pretty near out of it yesterday morning. They ’re 
liable to have a fall.” 

“ No, there isn’t much danger o’ that,” replied 
Harry. “ Jake knows how to volplane. He can 


At Greenwood School 


231 


coast down a bank of air just like you go down 
a toboggan slide. He’s a good aeronaut if be is a 
rascal.” 

“ Here come the automobiles,” Billy Beckman 
announced. 

“ Yes, here they are,” said the sheriff. “ I’ll 
run in and get some apples. We haven’t had any 
breakfast, an’ we’ll all be good an’ hungry before 
we overtake the airship.” 

Legler rushed into the house and soon reap- 
peared with a basket of fine red winesaps, half of 
which he spilled into one of the machines and set 
the basket in the other. Just then a newspaper 
reporter from Milwaukee, who had arrived the 
night before, appeared on the scene. 

“ What’s doing? ” he asked. 

“ The air pirates broke out o’ jail, an’ ran off 
with the airship,” replied Julian. “ See, there 
they are, ’ ’ pointing up to the east. 

“ What are you goin’ to do? ” inquired the re- 
porter. 

“ Follow ’em in autos.” 

“ Got room for another? ” 

“ Sure,” replied Legler, without consulting 


232 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


Johnson and Ballantyne, who had hired one of the 
machines. 4 4 Pile in wherever you can.” 

Just then Mrs. Legler, a small overworked 
woman, came out of the house. Her husband 
drew her aside and said : 

44 Go in an’ get the Ludlow an’ the Redmont 
Houses on the wire. Find out if there’s any 
newspaper reporters stoppin’ there. If there is, 
get ’em on the wire personally. Tell ’em what’s 
happened, an’ where we’re goin’. An’ tell ’em 
Sheriff Legler sent word to ’em — see f Remem- 
ber, now, I’m goin’ to run for the legislature.” 

44 Which way you goin’? ” asked Mrs. Legler 
nervously. 

44 Straight east on the Blue Mound road. See 
the airship off there? ” 

Don Collins did not intend to overhear this con- 
versation, but he could not help it. He was stand- 
ing on the part of the lawn where the airship had 
rested, and Mr. and Mrs. Legler were not more 
than fifteen feet from him. The rest were near the 
automobiles. 

Don was watching the airship. Moreover, he 
had stood aside in order that he might not appear 
to be forcing himself into a place in one of the au- 


At Greenwood School 


233 


tomobiles. They would want to make the greatest 
speed possible, and the fewer in the machines, the 
better for this purpose. 

Suddenly, the boy’s attention was attracted to a 
folded bit of paper on the grass. Something was 
written on the outside, and, looking close, he read 
the name, u Mr. Hart wick.” 

With a little cry of surprise, he picked it up. 
Julian, who had heard his exclamation and seen 
his action, called out : 

“ What’s the matter, Don? ” 

“ Here’s something for your brother,” replied 
Collins. ‘ 4 It’s a note, I guess. It’s got his name 
on it. ’ ’ 

Don took the paper to Harry Hartwick, while 
all gathered around the inventor. The latter, with 
nervous fingers, unfolded the paper and read. All 
gazed at him with increasing wonder, eagerly wait- 
ing for him to announce the contents. Presently 
he spoke. 

“ It’s a note from one o’ those boys — Dick 
Harding. This is what he says : 

‘ ‘ Mr. Hartwick : — I hope you find this. I ’m 
sorry I ever had anything to do with stealing your 
airship. We’ve broke out of jail and are going to 


234 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


run off with it again. I tried to get Spellman and 
Phil not to do it, but they won’t listen. Spellman 
said I had to go along or he ’d kill me. He ’s afraid 
I ’ll raise an alarm if he leaves me behind. He says 
he’s going to fly as far as Lake Michigan and then 
put enough gasoline in the tank to keep it going 
half an hour and turn it loose over the lake. I ’m 
going to try to stop him and save the airship for 
you. 


Dick Harding. ’ ’ 


CHAPTER XXIII 

SHORT OF GASOLINE 

44 Just about what I thought,’ ’ declared Harry 
Hartwick, as he finished reading the note. 4 4 Spell- 
man is bent on revenge. He’s got as wicked a 
heart as any man I ever met. He’ll do anything 
to get even.” 

44 All ready,” announced the sheriff. 44 Pile 
in.” 

Don was invited by the reporters to get into 
their automobile, and he accepted the invitation 
gladly. In a few moments they were racing 
through the town at full speed. In five minutes 
they passed the city limits and were flying along 
a well macadamized country road. They had the 
highway almost to themselves, for few persons 
were driving about at this early hour. The aero- 
plane could be seen high up, six or seven miles 
ahead, pushing against a rather stiff current. 

44 We’ve got an advantage over ’em,” said the 
Milwaukee reporter, Arthur Fitzpatrick, who sat 
in the rear seat between Don and Ballantyne. 


235 


236 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


The Associated Press reporter sat in front with 
the chauffeur. Both automobiles were open road- 
sters. 

“Yes,” replied Ballantyne, “we’re makin’ 
three miles to their one. We’ll catch ’em dead 
sure. They’re workin’ against the wind.” 

“ They’re tryin’ to get out of it, too,” said 
Don, as the aeroplane coasted downward a few 
hundred feet. “ There, they’ve got it better,” 
he observed as the craft flew ahead more rapidly. 

“ Yes, but we’re gainin’ on ’em still,” declared 
Johnson. “We’ll be right under ’em in less’n 
an hour. ’ ’ 

“ They’ve got a pretty stiff current against 
’em still,” said Don. “ There isn’t an automo- 
bile anywhere could race with the Nora if the 
wind’s favorable.” 

“ How fast can she go? ” inquired Ballantyne. 

i 1 I don ’t think she ’s been timed, ’ ’ replied Don. 
“ But if you’d been aboard when she was goin’ 
her best without any wind, you wouldn’t have 
any doubts.” 

“ Hand over some o’ those apples,” said John- 
son. “ I never get so excited I can’t eat.” 

“ I never get excited at all,” replied Balia n- 


At Greenwood School 


237 


tyne, doing as requested. “ I find that the re- 
porters who get excited are the ones ’at get 
scooped.” 

“ Well, you won’t get scooped when the A. P. 
(Associated Press) is around,” replied Johnson. 

The reporters ate apples and bantered each 
other in this manner for some time. This sort of 
talk was interesting to Don, who kept still and 
listened. He had never met a metropolitan news- 
paper reporter before, and the conversation of 
these conveyed to him a good deal of the spirit of 
their life. 

J ohnson ’s prediction that they would he ‘ 1 right 
under the aeroplane in less’n an hour ” proved 
to be practically correct. But before they “ over- 
took ” the flyer overhead, doings on board the lat- 
ter indicated something of a panic. Suddenly the 
course of the Nora was turned to the right, and 
she ran directly south. 

“ I wonder what that means,” said Johnson. 
“ I thought, accordin’ to that kid’s note, she 
was makin’ straight for Lake Michigan.” 

“ It means, for one thing, we’ll have to go 
south at the first turn,” said the chauffeur. 
“ They’re try in’ to get away from us.” 


238 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

“ I bet he’s right/ ’ exclaimed Fitzpatrick. 
“ We’re comin , to a turn now. We’ll find out 
pretty soon. ’ ’ 

A minute later, a crossroad was reached, and the 
sheriff’s machine, which was ahead, turned south. 
The rear automobile followed. In about five min- 
utes, the aeroplane turned east again. 

“ You were right,” declared Johnson, address- 
ing the chauffeur, who was a young, wide-awake 
fellow. “ What do you think they’ll do next! ” 

“ I know what I’d do if I was them,” was the 
answer. 

“ What? ” 

“I’d make a fly kitty-corner across country. 
The roads run north an’ south an’ east an’ west. 
These machines ’d have to go half again as far as 
the airship. In that way, I think I could get away 
from you.” 

As if receiving the suggestion from the chauf- 
feur, Spellman changed the course of the aero- 
plane again, flying toward the northeast. 

“ They’re foxy all right,” declared Ballantyne, 
producing a pad of paper and jotting down a few 
notes. 1 1 Glad of it. A poor villain makes a poor 
yarn. Those fellows are making the best news- 


At Greenwood School 


239 


paper yarn this country has produced in a long 
while. ’ ’ 

“ They surely can’t keep it up much longer,” 
said Don. 

“ Why? ” asked Ballantyne. 

“ ’Cause they must be almost out o’ gasoline.” 

In spite of the diagonal course of the aero- 
plane, the automobiles were able to hold their own 
in the race, but were unable to get directly under 
the Nora. 

Dick Harding was sincere when he opposed this 
second stealing of the airship. When he saw he 
could make no favorable impression on Spellman 
or Phil, he asked that he be allowed to remain in 
the cell. But Jake would not consent to this, and 
made some strong threats to the hoy. Then Dick 
pretended to change his mind, and to enter heart- 
ily into the scheme. He found an opportunity to 
scribble a note to Harry Hartwick while Spell- 
man and Phil were busy getting the aeroplane 
ready to fly away and drop it on the ground just 
as they were ascending. 

The flight was without special incident for 
nearly two hours. Meanwhile, little was said by 
any of the escaped prisoners. Jake sat in the 


240 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

pilot seat and paid little attention to anything but 
guiding the vessel. Phil watched the engine, and 
Dick was left to do as he pleased. 

It was shortly before the pursuit of the two 
automobiles was observed that Phil discovered 
the scarcity of gasoline in the tank. Spellman 
had looked in the tank before starting and noticed 
it was low, but planned to fill it up from one of the 
several cans in the cabin. When Phil examined 
these cans, however, he found them all empty. 

The discovery almost threw him into a panic 
and he ran to the pilot room and informed Jake 
of their predicament. The latter received the in- 
formation with an oath. 

“ How long’ll it keep us goin’? ” he asked. 

“ Not much more’n half an hour,” replied 
Phil. 

“ Well, we’ll keep goin’ as long as we can, an’ 
then abandon it, ’ ’ said J ake. ‘ ‘ Let me know be- 
fore it’s all gone.” 

After Phil returned to the engine room, lie 
looked out of the rear window and saw two auto- 
mobiles coming at high speed three or four miles 
behind. He called Dick’s attention to them and 
they both watched the machines for fifteen or 
twenty minutes. 


At Greenwood School 


241 


“ I wonder if they’re after us,” said Phil at 
last. “I’m goin’ to tell Spellman about ’em.” 

Before starting for the pilot room, he inspected 
the gasoline again, and was pleased to note that 
it was not as low as he had anticipated. His first 
words to Jake were: 

“ I guess the gasoline’ll last half an hour yet. 
But I’m afraid we’re bein’ followed.” 

“ How? ” asked Jake incredulously. 

‘ 4 There ’s a couple of automobiles ’ chasin ’ after 
us like mad. I’ve been watchin’ ’em for fifteen 
minutes. They’ve almost caught up.” 

“ I’ll change the course an’ you see if they fol- 
low suit,” proposed Spellman. 

Phil watched the automobiles and saw them turn 
south at the next crossroads. Then the aeroplane 
was turned east again and the machines did like- 
wise as soon as possible. 

“I’m goin’ northeast as far as the gasoline’ll 
take us, an’ then land,” said Spellman. “ We’ve 
got to get clear of ’em an’ then make a run for it. 
There’s some woods over there. We c’n slip 
through them, an’ throw the officers off our 
track.” 

“ You think they’re policemen,” asked Phil 
tremblingly. 


242 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


“ Sure they are,” replied Jake. “ Who else’d 
be follerin’ us? Go back an’ see how the gasoline 
is.” 

Phil hurried away and soon returned with this 
announcement : ‘ ‘ It ’s pretty low, but I guess 
it’ll last fifteen minutes yet.” 

“ We’ll make it all right,” declared Jake. 

“ I’m goin’ to land in that field off there next to 
the woods. ’ ’ 

Meanwhile the automobiles were tearing along 
at full speed. At every crossroad they turned, 
describing a zig-zag course to the northeast, and 
keeping within half a mile or a mile of the fleeing 
aeroplane. At last, she was seen to drop a hun- 
dred feet or more, continue some distance at this 
altitude and then drop again, lower, lower. 

“ She’s goin’ to land! ” exclaimed Johnson. 

“ Yes, they’re out o’ gasoline,” said Don. 
“ Now, if we can only catch up with ’em before 
Spellman has a chance to do any damage. ’ ’ 

“ He won’t stop for that,” said Ballantyne. 
“ He’ll want to save himself.” 

‘ ‘ I’m not so sure o ’ that, ’ ’ replied Don. 4 ‘ Mr. 
Hartwick says he’s a revengeful man.” 

The Nora alighted in a hay field at the edge of a 


At Greenwood School 


243 


large patch of woods. The automobiles were run 
as near to the spot as possible, and then the air- 
pirate hunters got out, climbed over a fence and 
ran toward the abandoned aeroplane. But before 
she was abandoned, a thrilling scene took place 
aboard her. 

As the vessel alighted, Spellman ordered the 
boys to get out and run for the woods. Phil 
obeyed, telling Dick to follow him, but the latter 
did not follow. He remained aboard and watched 
Spellman. 

“ Why don’t you cut for the woods? ” asked 
Jake impatiently. “ You’ll get caught if you 
don’t.” 

“ Why don’t you? ” replied Dick. 

“ I’ve got somethin’ to do before I go. Get off 
this airship before I throw you off.” 

“ What you goin’ to do? ” 

“ Have my revenge. I’m goin’ to set the en- 
gine goin’ an’ send her up an’ let ’er fall when 
the gasoline gives out.” 

Dick had suspected as much. How could he pre- 
vent it? He could not hope to match his strength 
against that of Spellman. He must use strategy. 

He must act quickly. Spellman was tying the 


244 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

wheel, and setting some of the levers preparatory 
to sending the aeroplane up without pilot. 

“ Wait till I get my knife. I left it in the en- 
gine room.” 

With these words, Dick dashed through the 
cabin. He had lied. His knife was in his pocket. 

He had studied the engine a good deal, and 
knew just what to do. There was a faucet at the 
bottom of the gasoline tank. He threw this open, 
and the little remaining gasoline ran out. 

Dick dashed back into the cabin and there met 
Spellman. The latter’s face was like a thunder- 
cloud. He had observed the boy’s trick and was 
tearing toward the engine room to close the faucet. 
As he passed Dick in the cabin, he aimed a blow 
at him, but the boy dodged, sprang to the gang- 
way and leaped to the ground. 

Spellman saw at once that he was too late, and 
snarled out an imprecation. Then he, too, sprang 
out of the aeroplane as if to wreak vengeance on 
the youth. He halted a moment, and with good 
reason. The pursuers had left the automobile and 
were running across the fields and Dick was run- 
ning toward them. 

No attempt was made to pursue them further. 


At Greenwood School 


245 


The air-pirate hunters gathered around the re- 
formed boy pirate and listened to his story. Dick 
was a modest fellow now. His repentance had 
taken the starch out of his former lawlessness and 
bravado, and the newspaper reporters found 
enough good qualities in him to convert him into 
a hero. 

One of the automobiles was dispatched to a 
near-by village for a can of gasoline, and in half 
an hour the Nora was in condition for a return 
trip. While they were waiting for the gasoline, 
half a dozen more reporters arrived in automo- 
biles, Mrs. Legler having carried out her hus- 
band’s instructions. 

“ I bet you can’t carry all this crowd back to 
Oberton,” said the sheriff, addressing the inven- 
tor. He was still thinking of the legislature, and 
knew well enough that the press representatives 
were eager for a ride in the aeroplane. 

“ I bet I can,” replied Harry, unhesitatingly. 
“ Everybody who wants a ride in the airship, get 
aboard.” 

Nobody hesitated, and pretty soon, fifteen men 
and boys were flying through the air five hundred 
feet from the earth. Only the chauffeurs were 
left with the automobiles. 


246 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


The ride back was uneventful. One of the re- 
porters suggested that they fly over the woods in 
search of the aeroplane thieves, hut the inventor 
would not consent to this. He said that he had no 
desire to punish them inasmuch as he had regained 
possession of the Nora in good condition. 

The aeroplane alighted again on the lawn of 
Sheriff Legler, and was greeted by a great throng 
of townsfolk. No sooner had she touched the 
earth than a dignified gray-haired man sprang 
like a boy up the gangway. It was Mr. Beebe. 
Don wondered again at the familiarity with which 
he grasped the hand of Harry Hartwick. But he 
was not left long in doubt. Presently Julian 
seized his friend by the arm and led him up to the 
Greenwood school director. 

“ Don,” he said; “ don’t faint with surprise. 
Let me introduce you to my uncle, the owner of 
the Nora.” 


CHAPTER XXIV 
Julian's secret 

A more astonished boy perhaps it would be hard 
to find than Don Collins when he heard this an- 
nouncement. Since his first acquaintance with 
Julian he had found him more and more a boy 
of mystery. It seemed that all was now about to 
be cleared up and his friend's closely kept secrets 
revealed. 

Mr. Beebe, Julian's uncle and owner of the air- 
ship! Then Julian was not a poor boy after all! 
But he was. He was too proud to accept unearned 
assistance from his millionaire uncle and had 
therefore gone to school in poor clothes. His 
brother insisted that he attend Greenwood because 
that was the institution in which every male 
member of the family for two generations had 
been educated. 

When Mr. Hartwick made a model of his pro- 
posed airship and showed it to Uncle Dick, the 
latter at once became enthusiastic over it and 
offered to supply his nephew with money to build 
247 


248 The Boy Scouts of the Air 

the ship, agreeing to pay twenty-five thousand 
dollars more if it proved a success. Both Mr. 
Beebe and Mr. Hartwick had a sense of the value 
of advertisement, and they therefore decided to 
construct the ship secretly and to fly it at night 
in a spectacular manner. The principal foundry 
and general shopwork was done in Chicago and 
the parts shipped to the factory in the woods 
where Mr. Hartwick and his wife lived during 
the construction of the vessel. On the two trips 
that Don and Julian made with the inventor, Mr. 
Beebe was not present, as he preferred to remain 
on the solid earth and watch the play of the 
searchlights and the glitter of the fireworks. 

Julian’s relationship to Mr. Beebe was not 
known even to President Bacon, for Julian had 
been sensitive as to his poverty, which had come 
upon him and his brother simultaneously with 
the death of their father two years before. He 
had therefore chosen to enter the academy as a 
boy of poor family working his way. He was pe- 
culiar in this respect and perhaps foolish. But 
he could not bear to be an object of curiosity or 
pity, which he certainly would have been if it had 
become known at the academy that his father, 


At Greenwood School 


249 


who had once been rich and part owner of the 
school, had died bankrupt. 

As all his visits to the airship factory in the 
woods had to be made secretly, Julian found it 
necessary to steal away after dark on many oc- 
casions. He helped in the construction work at 
night and on Saturdays, thus repaying in part 
the money lent him by his brother while he was 
obtaining an education. 

Jake Spellman and Phil Dunbar were caught 
two weeks later by the police of a town a hundred 
miles away. The latter would have left Spellman, 
but his nerve had quite forsaken him. Jake kept 
him in constant fear of the law by ingenious and 
specious threats, so that Phil became meeker and 
meeker as the days passed. 

One morning Jake sent Phil into a town to buy 
provisions. He was afraid to show himself, so 
he sent the boy and remained in hiding. A de- 
scription of both had been sent to the police of 
this town by Sheriff Legler, and Phil was recog- 
nized and arrested. After tangling himself up 
when questioned, he finally confessed, and his 
companion was captured. 

Spellman was convicted on a criminal charge 


250 


The Boy Scouts of the Air 


and sent to the penitentiary. Harry Hartwick, 
however, refused to appear against Phil Dunbar 
and the latter was released. Dick Harding’s re- 
pentance and action in preventing the chief air 
pirate from destroying the aeroplane won for him 
not only the forgiveness of the inventor, but the 
pardon of President Bacon as well. 

The Happy Hide-out Club went out of existence 
with the disappearance of Phil from the school, 
and President Bacon caused their cave to be de- 
stroyed. Who drew the picture of “ Prexie 
Porkie ” on the blackboard was never revealed. 
Perhaps the artist himself is the only person who 
knows, and he may be still a student of the acad- 
emy. 

Stacey Williams and Homer Bradley were sus- 
pended for one month because of the part they 
took in the assault on Don and Julian in the 
woods, and in the stealing of the airship. They 
are back in school now, much better behaved boys. 
Billy Beckman is a close friend of Don and Julian 
and has thrown off the bad effects of his former 
association with the Dunbarites. One day Pres- 
ident Bacon called Don into his office and exon- 
erated him of the charge made by Phil Dunbar 


At Greenwood School 


251 


concerning the fight on the campus. A confes- 
sion had been forced from Phil at his home, not 
only of the truth of this incident, but of many 
others. Don was happy now, although charitably 
sorry for Phil. 

As for the airship, the reader must know all 
about that. The newspapers have been full of 
its wonderful success. Any reader must have 
seen Don’s and Julian’s pictures in the papers 
when accounts w r ere printed of the mysterious 
doings of an unknown airship in that part of the 
country. 



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